21 Geomechanics For Everyone, Part 5: Caprock Integrity of High-Pressure Injection Processes 27 GeoConvention 2014: Focus 28 Go Take a Hike 35 Ge ology of the Mount Stephen Trilobite Beds and Adjacent Strata near Field B.C., Yoho National Park New Perspectives on a 127 Year Old Discovery, Part 2
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CSPG OFFICE Caprock Integrity of High-Pressure Injection Processes ...... 21 ® #110, 333 – 5th Avenue SW Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 3B6 2013 Gussow Geoscience Conference – Importance of Rock Properties in Tel: 403-264-5610 Web: www.cspg.org Unconventional Reservoirs ...... 26 IHS AccuMap Office hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:00pm GeoConvention 2014: Focus ...... 27 Executive Director: Lis Bjeld A MORE POWERFUL & INTUITIVE INTERPRETATION SOLUTION Tel: 403-513-1235, Email: [email protected] Event Coordinator: Kristy Casebeer Go Take a Hike ...... 28 Tel: 403-513-1226, Email: [email protected] Geoscience Coordinator: Kelsey Green Photo of the Month ...... 31 Tel: 403-513-1225, Email: [email protected] Member Services: The 2014 CSPG Executive Committee ...... 32 Developed with extensive industry feedback, a complete user Tel: 403-264-5610, Email: [email protected] Publications and Website: Emma MacPherson Email: [email protected], Tel: 403-513-1230 Geology of the Mount Stephen Trilobite Beds and Adjacent Strata near Field B.C., interface refresh enables easy navigation with the addition of Co-Manager, GeoConvention 2014: Aileen Lozie Tel: 403-513-1227, Email: [email protected] Yoho National Park, New Perspectives on a 127 Year Old Discovery, Part 2 ...... 35 the Microsoft® Office Ribbon and mouse-driven pan and Database Administrator and Accounting: Kasandra Amaro Maternity leave until January 2014 DEPARTMENTS Corporate Sponsorship: Lis Bjeld zoom functionality. Mapping and plotting are now Tel: 403-513-1235, Email: [email protected] Executive Comment ...... 5 Controller: Eric Tang Tel: 403-513-1232, Email: [email protected] enhanced with editable contours, flexible postings, and Technical Luncheons ...... 8 EDITORS/AUTHORS transparency for all layers, including Please submit RESERVOIR articles to the CSPG office. Division Talks ...... 13 Submission deadline is the 23rd day of the month, two months prior to issue date. (e.g., January 23 for the March issue). Rock Shop ...... 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20 Land. Expanded engineering To publish an article, the CSPG requires digital copies of the document. Text should be in Microsoft Word format and illustrations should be in TIFF capability increases reservoir format at 300 dpi., at final size. For additional information on manuscript preparation, refer to the Guidelines for Authors published in the CSPG knowledge with both the Bulletin or contact the editor. Technical Editors Classic Production Graph Hugh S. Mosher Colin Yeo (Assistant Tech. Editor) Nunaga Resources Ltd. Encana Corporation M.: 403-809-9997 Tel: 403-645-7724 and the new Material Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Balance Graph. Coordinating Editor Emma MacPherson, Publications Coordinator, CSPG Tel: 403-513-1230, [email protected],
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The RESERVOIR is published 11 times per year by the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists. This includes a combined issue for the months of July and August. The purpose of the RESERVOIR is to publicize the Society’s many activities and to promote the geosciences. We look for both technical and non-technical material to publish. Additional information on the RESERVOIR’s submission guidelines can be found at http://www.cspg. org/publications/pubs-reservoir-submissions.cfm. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in part or in full without the consent of the publisher. Additional copies of the RESERVOIR are available at the CSPG office. No official endorsement or sponsorship by the CSPG is implied for any advertisement, insert, or article that appears in the Reservoir unless otherwise noted. All submitted materials are reviewed by the editor. We reserve the right to edit all submissions, including letters to the Editor. Submissions must include your name, address, and membership number (if applicable). The material contained in this publication is intended for informational use only. FRONT COVER While reasonable care has been taken, authors and the CSPG make no guarantees that any of the equations, schematics, or devices discussed will perform as expected or that they will give the desired results. Some Large spherical sandstone concretions dot the badlands landscape at information contained herein may be inaccurate or may vary from standard measurements. Red Rock Coulee, approximately 60km SW of Medicine Hat. The spheres were The CSPG expressly disclaims any and all liability for the acts, omissions, or conduct of any third-party user of information contained in this publication. Under no circumstances shall the CSPG and its officers, directors, formed as layers of sand, calcite, and iron oxide collected around a nucleus formed by AVAILABLE NOW employees, and agents be liable for any injury, loss, damage, or expense arising in any manner whatsoever ® from the acts, omissions, or conduct of any third-party user. shells, leaves, or bones. The concretions are osme of the largest of their kind in the IHS AccuMap IHS.com/NewAccuMap world. Photo by Brett Frostad. Designed and Printed by The Data Group of Companies, Calgary, Alberta. RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 3 Canada’s Energy Geoscientists 31st Annual CSPG Squash Tournament
February 6-8, 2014 Early Bird Registration ends: Wednesday January 8th, 2014
For more information and to register today visit www.cspg.org EXECUTIVE COMMENT A message from 2014 Past President, Paul Mackay
CSPG Welcome EXECUTIVE Home PAST PRESIDENT Paul MacKay • Shale Petroleum Ltd. Twelve months ago the CSPG had a very members had made to their society. It was [email protected] Tel: 403.457.3930 enthusiastic incoming president who was very simply – moving. What also hit me filled with ideas about what the CSPG was there was the same enthusiasm that I PRESIDENT could become. Twelve months later the had seen in the under 35 group. Dale Leckie • Nexen Inc. [email protected] Tel: 403.613.0458 CSPG has a president who may be a bit more circumspect but has not lost any I was in a room that was loud with laughter PRESIDENT ELECT enthusiasm or desire for the Society. Often and genuine joy at the other end of the age Tony Cadrin • Journey Energy Inc. we equate enthusiasm with naiveté and spectrum but the similarities greatly out- [email protected] Tel: 403.303.3493 know that with time the individual filled weighed the differences. It was these types FINANCE DIRECTOR with enthusiasm may become a cynical shell of events that stick in my mind as I reflect Gord Stabb • Durando Resources Corp. whose only desire is to play out the string on the past year. [email protected] Tel: 403.819.8778 and hand the reins over to someone else. FINANCE DIRECTOR ELECT This is not the case this year and in reality This is not to say that there were Astrid Arts • Cenovus Energy it is rarely the case when it comes to the no accomplishments. Your Board [email protected] Tel: 403.766.5862 presidency in this Society. accomplished great things in the past year. The Society entered into a new relationship DIRECTOR with our sister societies (CSEG and Alexis Anastas • Nexen ULC As president I have had the opportunity [email protected] Tel: 403.699.4965 to be involved in several events that the the CWLS) to form GeoConvention a general membership would not be aware new joint partnership that will help us DIRECTOR of and are not broadly advertised. A few advance our national convention to be Andrew Fox • MEG Energy Corp. had deeper meaning to me and has left a the premier geotechnical convention in [email protected] Tel: 403.770.5345 lasting impression. One of my first events North America. In reality we know we are DIRECTOR was the under 35 member reception. This close but this partnership should help us Milovan Fustic • Statoil Canada Ltd. is a party, but it is a party where the consolidate and build more effectively on [email protected] Tel: 403.724.3307 over-whelming question is “How do I get a year-to-year basis. DIRECTOR involved”? I left (earlier than most) with a Michael Laberge • Channel Energy Inc. pocket full of names of future volunteers We began our Ambassador initiative with [email protected] Tel: 403.301.3739 and an over-whelming feeling that our great success and an understanding of organization is one with great promise. the issues facing geologists who work in DIRECTOR Robert Mummery • Almandine Resources Inc. other areas of the country. We want to [email protected] Tel: 403.651.4917 A bit later I was at the long-term members’ foster these groups and make them more event. At that event we read out the citation successful as they reach their maximum DIRECTOR for the Honorary Members. This was a potential. This program should bring Weishan Ren • Statoil Canada Ltd. [email protected] Tel: 403.724.0325 task that caught me off-guard and I was relevance of the CSPG to the rest of surprised at my reactions as I read through the country and help us make the ‘C’ DIRECTOR the citation. I was able to see the impact of in our name truly stand for ‘Canadian’. Darren Roblin • Endurance Energy dedicated involvement. I was in a room and We have also begun a process to grow [email protected] Tel: 587.233.0784 read out a long list of accomplishments that our Education Trust Fund (ETF) into a EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR three of our members made to the CSPG. meaningful force that will advance geologic Lis Bjeld • CSPG Everyone listened closely and there was education across the country and foster [email protected] Tel: 403.513.1235 genuine applause for the effort that these (Continued on page 7...)
RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 5
(...Continued from page 5) a renewed spirit of excitement in the Through the year I had several members Geosciences. We have retooled much ask me what they could do for the Society. of our Outreach program, focusing on The number one task that each member programs that will give maximum impact can engage with is to ask every geoscientist and hopefully expanding our reach across in their organization if they are a member the country. We are directing more energy of the CSPG and to encourage them to to our publications and courses, in this way take the time to join. Membership is a we expand our technical relevance to the privilege that is open to all geoscientists. broader geologic community. These and With it come incredible opportunities to CORPORATE SPONSORS many more initiatives were made possible learn through our many public lectures. SAMARIUM by the hard dedicated work of your Board With membership comes access to our geoLOGIC systems ltd. Members and the legion of volunteers publication archives and a treasure chest TITANIUM supporting them and you. Their names of ideas; but, with membership comes APEGA are in this magazine and if you know any something much more special and much Shell Canada Limited of them no matter how remotely please more valuable. The CSPG is more than PLATINUM do me the favour of sending them a quick a technical society; it is a community of AGAT Laboratories email of thanks or better yet buy them a passionate individuals that find excitement Cenovus Energy Inc. and stimulation in the study of the earth and ConocoPhilips cup of coffee. They are wonderful people IHS and worth spending time with, even over the exploration of ideas. It is community in Imperial Oil Resources coffee. every sense of the word and with that Nexen Inc. comes acceptance and understanding. GOLD The incoming Board and president are filled Devon Energy Corp with promise and enthusiasm. I expect that The greatest compliment I receive through Enerplus Corporation given the quality of these new individuals the year was a comment made to me by a MEG Energy Corp. long serving member who had stepped back Tourmaline they will have the same enthusiasm this Schlumberger Canada Limited time next year. It is said that an organization for a few years. We were at a CSPG event Statoil Canada is only as strong as its leaders, but in the and he came up to me, shook my hand, and said that he was having a great time – he SILVER case of the CSPG I do not believe this. Athabasca Oil Corporation This organization is strong because we felt like the youth who had discovered the Baker Hughes have enthusiastic youth and even more Society in his past, he said he felt like he Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. enthusiasm in our long-term members was home. This is who we are and this is CGG Services (Canada) Inc. the greatest benefit of being a member. Encana Corporation group. We have volunteers who define Husky Energy Inc. dedication and a trained office staff that So whether you have been a member for ION GeoPhysical are willing to take on the almost impossible fifty years or you have just received your Loring Tarcore Labs Ltd. task of organizing a group of geologists. This first copy of the Reservoir, It is my great MJ Systems pleasure to say, “Welcome Home”. Petrosys organization is strong because we enjoy Suncor Energy our science and we share that passion with each other to bring greater understanding. BRONZE Arc Financial Corporation This organization is strong because we Arcis Seismic Solutions build on an amazing tradition from our past Belloy Petroleum Consulting but we have even greater potential in our Earth Signal Processing Ltd. future. We are running to our centennial Exova Canada Inc. Hunt Oil in 2027. I look forward to seeing what the Olympic Seismic Ltd. CSPG will be like at that time. PGS Pro Geo Consultants Roke Technologies Ltd. Saudi Aramco Seisware Sensor Geophysical Ltd. Talisman Energy Tesla TGS As of December 2013 A Special Thanks to Geologic Systems Ltd., CSPG’s Top Sponsor of the Month
RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 7 Start your year off right with the 2014 CSPG Geological Calendar
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Office: 110-333, 5th Ave SW TECHNICAL LUNCHEONS JANUARY LUNCHEON Webcasts sponsored by
Middle East and the Far East. Following the BP • Arctic Oil & Gas Exploration – the final Oil and Gas Amoco merger, he led the team which made the exploration and production frontier. What is the significant Plutonio discovery in Block 18, deepwater scale and distribution of these resources and Exploration in Angola. He is the author of many papers on the how can we develop the technologies to exploit Petroleum Geology of extensional basins most notably these reserves in a socially and environmentally the Arctic on the North Sea Jurassic and northern England acceptable way? Carboniferous. • So uth Atlantic Margins – conjugate margin SPEAKER evolution and fill. Crustal to basin scale. Alastair Fraser He continues to pursue his interests in rifts and rifted AAPG Distinguished Lecturer margins and this forms his main area of research An additional and important aspect of his role is as focus. Areas of interest will include the following: Director of the EGI/Imperial Research Alliance. Al is 11:30 am, Tuesday, January 28, 2014 • Eastern Mediterranean – the Messinian Salinity currently Science Secretary of the Geological Society Calgary, TELUS Convention Centre Crisis, salt-sediment interaction and its impact on of London. Macleod Hall C/D, Calgary, Alberta hydrocarbon prospectivity of the region Please note: The cut-off date for ticket sales is 1:00 pm, three business days before event. [Thursday, January 23, 2013]. CSPG Member Ticket Price: $45.00 + GST. Non-Member Ticket Price: $47.50 + GST.
Each CSPG Technical Luncheon is 1 APEGA PDH credit. Tickets may be purchased online at https:// www.cspg.org/eSeries/source/Events/index.cfm.
In overcoming the technical challenges of oil production in the Arctic, are we making the most of a strategic resource or heading for an environmental and political minefield?
The vast Arctic region is probably the last remaining unexplored source of hydrocarbons on the planet.
In the past three decades of oil exploration in the Arctic, more than 200 billion barrels of oil have been discovered. Ultimate resources are estimated at 114 billion barrels of undiscovered oil and 2000 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. If these estimates are correct, these hydrocarbons would account for more than a fifth of the world’s undiscovered reserves. This great prize, in a world of diminishing resources, has stimulated both governmental and industry interest in areas such as the US and Canadian Beaufort Sea, East and West Greenland and the Kara Sea.
Balanced against this are the considerable technical challenges of exploring and producing hydrocarbons in areas where sea ice is present for more than half the year as well as the underlying threat of damage to a pristine Arctic environment.
Harnessing the considerable resources of the ‘Final Frontier’ is going to be fraught with many technical, political and environmental challenges that will engage many minds, both scientific and political over the next half century.
BIOGRAPHY Al Fraser currently holds the post of EGI Chair in Petroleum Geoscience at Imperial College, London. He has a BSc from Edinburgh University and a PhD from Glasgow University in the UK, both in Geology. Previously, Al worked for BP as a Petroleum Geologist/ Exploration Manager for over 30 years. His career in petroleum exploration, took him to most corners of the world including N. America, Europe, Africa,
RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 9 TECHNICAL LUNCHEONS FEBRUARY LUNCHEON Webcasts sponsored by Systematic Assessment of Water Resources to Support Unconventional Play Development, West-Central Alberta
SPEAKER Brad J.R. Hayes Petrel Robertson Consulting Ltd.
11: 30 am Wednesday, February 5th, 2014 Calgary, TELUS Convention Centre Macleod Hall C/D Calgary, Alberta
Please note: The cut-off date for ticket sales is 1:00 pm, three business days before event. (Friday, January 31st, 2014.) CSPG Member Ticket Price: $45.00 + GST. Non- Member Ticket Price: $47.50 + GST.
Each CSPG Technical Luncheon is 1 APEGA PDH credit. Tickets may be purchased online at https://www.cspg.org/eSeries/source/Events/ index.cfm.
ABSTRACT reservoirs are now being developed in the Basin using horizontal wells and multizone Shale and tight sandstone and carbonate heart of the Western Canada Sedimentary frac completions. Devonian Swan Hills carbonates and Duvernay shales, Triassic Montney siltstones, and Cretaceous Wilrich and Cardium sandstones are the best- ROCK SHOP known and most widespread plays. While drilling and completions methodologies vary by play and are still being optimized in many cases, there is a clear need for large source water volumes and secure water disposal zones to support field operations, particularly where high-volume slickwater fracs are part of the story. Wellsite 101 A revised regulatory framework being put Geology Training for the Petroleum Industry into place by the Alberta Energy Regulator www.opustraininggroup.com demands that operators plan their unconventional development operations, including water sourcing and disposal on Opus Training Group 403 720-9810 a project scale and play wide basis, and in collaboration with other operators where possible. It is important, therefore, that
10 RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 operators have regional knowledge of water characterization of subsurface aquifers as Brad is an active member of the CSPG, and resources, and the ability to interact readily potential water source and disposal zones. He served as its President in 2001. He is also a with nearby competitors. has led PRCL in regional subsurface aquifer member of AAPG, GAC, and APEGBC, and projects in Horn River Basin, the BC Montney currently sits on APEGA Council. The West-Central Alberta Basin (WCAB) fairway, Central Mackenzie Valley and Deh Cho Water Project is designed to characterize areas of NWT, and now in west-central Alberta. surface and subsurface water resources Ben Kerr of Foundry Spatial and Derek Brown across broad unconventional oil and gas play of Strategic West are other key members of fairways in west-central Alberta. It provides the team examining surface, shallow and deep the foundation to support more detailed water sources in the WCAW Project. characterization projects addressing specific unconventional developments. Technical Brad received a PhD from the University of work is being performed by independent Alberta, and a B.Sc. from the University of consulting groups, while project governance Toronto, and has been with PRCL since 1996. and financial support is provided by a consortium of oil and gas producers under the umbrellas of PTAC (Petroleum Technology Alliance of Canada) and CAPP (Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers).
In order to address water issues as broadly as possible, the WCAB Project has been designed to assess water resources at surface, in surficial sediments and shallow non-saline aquifers, and in deep saline aquifers. Initial work in 2012/2013 focused on data collection and cataloguing, but by summer of 2014, more detailed modeling and analytical / predictive work will be completed. Collaboration with the Regulator ensures that Project work will be of direct value in regulatory applications. Ultimately, Project results will be made public so that all concerned stakeholders can gain a common understanding of the best technical solutions for use of both non-saline and saline water resources. At the present time, project data are being displayed in an integrated GIS- driven website for client companies; more sophisticated display, query, and decision- support tools will be developed beginning later in 2014.
The WCAB Project is an excellent example of the collaborative work that industry needs to undertake in order to demonstrate environmental sensitivity in developing unconventional resources. Sharing this information with regulators and public stakeholders is an important step in gaining societal acceptance for the development work that needs to be done.
BIOGRAPHY Brad Hayes is President of Petrel Robertson Consulting Ltd., a consulting firm engaged by clients including industry, government agencies, and legal and financial organizations, to address conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon exploration and development.
Much of Brad’s work on unconventionals during the past few years has focused on
RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 11 Client: RJ DeRkitt & AssociAtes Docket: RJD-3362 File Description: RecRuitment AD Date: octobeR 21, 2013 Size: 4.8125” x 7.3125” Colour: cmYk Publication: csPG ReseRvoiR this file was prepared by T 403.539.2000 F 403.264.2705 TECHNICAL LUNCHEONS FEBRUARY LUNCHEON Webcasts sponsored by
Sedimentation in the GOM can be divided into petroleum exploration. He is currently involved in A Brief Tectonic five megasequences: Rifting to Upper Jurassic, salt-sediment interaction research in the Flinders Lower Cretaceous, Upper Cretaceous, Ranges, South Australia, fluvial deltaic deposition and Depostional Paleogen, and Neogene. The oldest sediments in the Cretaceous Seaway of NW Colorado, and are clastics in the Upper Triassic known only deep marine stratigraphic analysis in the Gulf of History of the from peripheral rift basins onshore. In the Mexico. Joseph teaches internal training classes basin center evaporites of the Middle Jurassic on seismic interpretation and salt tectonics for Northern Gulf of Louann Formation are the oldest deposits WesternGeco and external industry courses for encountered. Deformation and movement of Nautilus U.S.A. and local geologic societies. Mexico the Louann salt affects almost all the overlying strata and plays a very important role in all He is a member of the American Association of SPEAKER aspects of the basin’s petroleum systems. Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) #352532 and a Joseph Carl Fiduk Above the salt, Upper Jurassic marine shales Certified Petroleum Geologist #5367. Joseph has AAPG Distinguished Lecturer of Oxfordian and Tithonian age comprise two served as a session chair at the 2001, 2004, of the most important petroleum source beds. 2008, 2010, and 2011 National Conventions. He 11: 30 am In the Lower Cretaceous megasequence the was an invited speaker at the 1991, 1993, 2004, Thursday, February 27th, 2014 Aptian age Sligo and Albian age Stuart City 2005, and 2010 conventions and at the 1999 and Calgary, TELUS Convention Centre carbonates established basin rimming reef 2008 International conferences. Joesph has also Macleod Hall C/D, Calgary, Alberta margins that divided shelf from deep water. been invited to speak to the Moroccan Association These reefs sit above the structural hinge of Petroleum Geologists (2007) and the Mexican Please note: The cut-off date for ticket sales is 1:00 pm, between thick and thin continental crust. Association of Petroleum Geologists (2008). three business days before event. (Monday, February In the Upper Cretaceous megasequence 24th, 2013.) CSPG Member Ticket Price: $45.00 + the Cenemanian age Woodbine-Tuscaloosa Joseph is a member of the Houston Geological GST. Non-Member Ticket Price: $47.50 + GST. system represent the first coarse clastics to Society (HGS) #10461 and has been an alternate advance beyond the Lower Cretaceous shelf delegate for the HGS since 2004 and has sat as a Each CSPG Technical Luncheon is 1 APEGA margin. The megasequence is capped with voting representative four times. In addition, Joseph PDH credit. Tickets may be purchased online tsunami deposits from the Chicxulub impact has served as a session chairman at the 2006 and at https://www.cspg.org/eSeries/source/Events/ on the Yucatan peninsula. The Paleogene1 and 2012 GCAGS meetings. He co-instructed a short index.cfm. Neogene 2 megasequences are dominated course in Deepwater Depositional Processes at the by major clastic inputs of the lower Wilcox1, 2007 GCAGS meeting in Corpus Christi. Joseph ABSTRACT upper Wilcox1, Vicksburg1, and Frio1, has been an invited speaker to the HGS dinner The Gulf of Mexico (GOM) is the 9th largest lower Miocene2, middle Miocene2, upper meetings in 1996 and in 2005 as well as an invited body of water on earth, covering an area of Miocene2, Pliocene2, and Pleistocene2. These speaker to the New Orleans Geological Society approximately 1.6 million km2 with water progradational episodes not only advanced the (1999), the Southwest Research Institute (2001), depths reaching 4,400 m (14,300’). The basin shorelines and shelf margins significantly but the Costal Bend Geophysical Society & Corpus formed as a result of crustal extension during also deposited thick sands (major reservoirs) in Christi Geological Society (2004), the HGS-PESGB the early Mesozoic breakup of Pangaea. the deep GOM. The Neogene progradational 4th International Conference on African E & P Rifting occurred from the Late Triassic to episodes are strongly influenced by glacio- (2005), the Lafayette Geological Society (2005), early Middle Jurassic. Continued extension eustatic cycles of increasing frequency and the New Orleans Geological Society (2006), the through the Middle Jurassic combined with amplitude Dallas Geological Society (2007), and the Offshore counter-clockwise rotation of crustal blocks Technology Conference (2010). away from North America produced highly BIOGRAPHY extended continental crust in the subsiding Joseph has a B.S. and M.S. degree in Geology Joseph is a member of the Society of Exploration basin center. Subsidence eventually allowed from the University of Florida, an M.B.A degree Geophysicists (SEG) #148620 and a member of oceanic water to enter from the west leading from the University of Texas of the Permian the Geophysical Society of Houston #10461 and to thick, widespread, evaporite deposition. Basin and a Ph.D. in Geology and Geophysics has served as a session chair at the 2009 National Seafloor spreading initiated in the Late Jurassic from the University of Texas at Austin. He has Convention. eventually splitting the evaporite deposits into worked for the USGS, Gulf Oil, Discovery Logging, northern (USA) and southern (Mexican) basins. the Texas Bureau of Economic Geology, British Joseph is a member of the Society for Sedimentary Recent work suggests that this may have been Petroleum, Texas A&M University, the University Geology (SEPM) #43576 and a member of the accomplished by asymmetric extension, crustal of Texas, the University of Colorado, as a private Gulf Coast Section SEPM where he is currently delamination, and exposure of the lower crust consultant, and Chief Geologist for CGG and president-elect. He has served on the Conference or upper mantle rather than true sea floor CGGVeritas. Joseph is currently Chief Geologist for program advisory committee in 2005, served as a spreading (or it could be some combination WesternGeco in Houston, TX. session chair in 2005, and was an invited speaker of the two). By 135 Ma almost all extension at the 10th Annual Research Conference (1989), had ceased and the basic configuration of the Joseph’s research interests cover coastal and shelfal 24th Annual Research Conference (2004), and GOM basin seen today was established. The clastic deposition, salt structural deformation the 25th Annual Research Conference (2005). Laramide Orogeny was the last major tectonic and evolution, basin analysis, shelf margin to event impacting the GOM. It caused uplift and deep marine depositional processes, marine In his 30+ years as a working geologist Joseph erosion for the NW margin from the Late sedimentology, petroleum systems analysis, and has published 70+ peer-reviewed abstracts and Cretaceous to early Eocene. the use of three-dimensional seismic data in papers.
12 RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 DIVISION TALKS INTERNATIONAL DIVISION Sponsored by
constructed Export Transportation System Exploration (ETS) pipeline, which is 1,070 km long, 30” diameter, and has a 250,000 bopd nameplate Opportunity in capacity to the Cameroon coast at Kribi. the Interior Rift The geologic setting of Caracal’s acreage spans two Cretaceous interior Basins of rift basins, the Doba and Doseo, which contain extensional, transtensional, and Southern Chad, contractional inversion structures, with and without basement involvement. Prospect Africa targets are characterized by multiple, stacked, Upper and Lower Cretaceous SPEAKER siliciclastic reservoirs. Average porosities Scott Gardiner range from 12-25% in the Lower Cretaceous Manager - Business Development and from 20-30% in the Upper Cretaceous; Caracal Energy Inc. permeabilities range up to several Darcies within both the Lower and Upper 12:00 Noon Cretaceous. Reservoir depths are typically Wednesday January 15th, 2014 1,000 to 4,000 metres. These fluvio-deltaic Nexen Plus 15 Conference Centre reservoirs contain lacustrine-sourced, Nexen Annex Building paraffinic, low GOR oil; 18-24° API in the 7th Ave. & 7th Street SW Upper Cretaceous reservoirs and 29-47° Calgary, Alberta des Hydrocarbures du Tchad, a government- API in the Lower Cretaceous. Tested rates, owned entity, and Glencore Xstrata plc. by Caracal, for Lower Cretaceous reservoirs ABSTRACT range up to 4,000 bopd. Production planning In 2011, Caracal Energy Inc. entered into Exploration started in the Doba, Doseo and is to optimize using electric submersible three Petroleum Sharing Contracts (PSC’s) Salamat basins in the 1970s, and in the past pumps (ESP’s) for artificial lift. encompassing an area of over 26,000 sq decades has involved Conoco, a consortium km in the Doba and Doseo interior rift containing ExxonMobil/Chevron/Petronas, When Caracal acquired the acreage in Chad basins in Southern Chad. These PSCs have and Encana amongst others. Caracal’s there were five exploration wells that had initial terms of five years. Any exploration acreage was obtained in 2011 by the routine tested oil in the Lower Cretaceous, of which oil discoveries made are declared and, relinquishment of the consortium’s acreage one well was in the Doba basin and four were if they are deemed commercial, may be after their drilling of 16 wells in the 1980’s, in the Doseo Basin. As Badila and Mangara incorporated into Exclusive Exploitation 1990’s and 2000’s. were declared discoveries, Caracal shot Area’s (EXA’s) which allow wells to be 3D seismic (467 sq km), drilled and tested produced for 25 years. At the completion of The consortium made discoveries primarily appraisal wells, been granted EXA areas, the initial five year term of the exploration in the Upper Cretaceous reservoirs at fields and undertook field development and built phase of the PSC, 50% of the PSC areas, such as Kome (600 mmbbls), Miandoun, production facilities. Caracal constructed a exclusive of any EXAs, must be relinquished. Bolobo, Nya, and Mandoulli. These fields pipeline from Badila to the ETS. The Badila Caracal’s joint venture partners are Société came on production in 2003-2004 via a newly (Continued on page 14...)
RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 13 (...Continued from page 13) field’s first oil production was on September 30, 2013; this was the first ever third party shipment of crude via access to the ETS pipeline.
The 3D seismic programs confirmed the presence of several other adjacent prospects, one of which is near Mangara called Krim. Krim, Caracal’s first exploration well, was drilled in Q3 2013 and is a significant discovery, similar to Mangara. The Badila 3D seismic also confirmed a number of separate structures including one at Bitanda; a new play type, which is due to spud in Q4 2013. Overall, Caracal has an exploration inventory of >80 prospects; 35+ of which are drill ready. These will be drilled over the next two to five years, to realize the value of the exploration opportunity present within Mangara field, Chad: crude oil at 25°C. the interior rift basins of Chad, Africa. is the messenger for their work results Scott graduated in 1982 from McMaster and would like to thank them for this University in Hamilton, Ontario with a B.Sc. The content of this talk is due to the talents opportunity to speak on their behalf. (Hons) in Geology, and in 1984 from Memorial and dedicated hard work of the Exploration University of Newfoundland with an M.Sc. in and Asset Management teams at Caracal BIOGRAPHY deepwater sedimentology. He is a member of Energy Inc. For this presentation, Scott Scott has 29 years of Industry experience which CSPG, AAPG, APEGA, CSUR, PESGB, SPE & HGS. began in the Western Canada Basin at Esso (Imperial Oil) for eleven years, including an INFORMATION international assignment in Houston, Texas at There is no charge. Please bring your lunch. ROCK SHOTS Exxon Production Research Company. This was The facilities for the talk are provided followed by twelve years working exclusively complimentary of Nexen, coffee by IHS international opportunities at Nexen Inc. in and refreshments by Geochemtech Inc. Framing the Africa various technical and management capacities, The speakers are provided with gifts by Playing Field for and eight years of both conventional and Drilling Information and Quad Operations. international unconventional at Talisman For further information or if you would like Canadian E&P Players Energy Inc., in Global New Ventures and as to give a talk, please contact Bob Potter Exploration Manager in Stavanger, Norway. In at (403) 863-9738 (ropotter@geochemtech. SPEAKER June 2013, Scott joined Caracal Energy Inc. in com), Kevin Morrison at (403) 536-3788 David Bernie - President, GEOSEIS Calgary as Manager – Business Development ([email protected]), Jűrgen Kraus primarily focused on Africa. His work has ([email protected], Jon Noad (403) 513 7541 (SAME TIME AND LOCATION AS taken him across the globe, including major ([email protected]) or visit our Face INTERNATIONAL DIVISION TALK, efforts in Yemen, Chad, Iraq, Colombia, Algeria, Book page (“CSPG International Division”). JANUARY 15TH, 2014) Argentina, North Sea UK & Norway, Gulf of Mexico, and Saudi Arabia, among others.
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more eastern part of the basin. The study reworking of sediment on a shallow marine Paleogeography, interval has a wedge-shaped geometry, and ramp. The deposition on the muddy portion is ~780 m thick in the west and thins of the shelf is interpreted to have been Tectonic dramatically to ~280 metres over a distance dependent on wave-enhanced sediment of ~170 km. Rapid facies changes result gravity/geostrophic flows. Along-shelf Evolution, and in lithostratigraphic units being strongly transport was controlled by geostrophic Mud Transport diachronous. flows towards the southeast. In order to determine depositional history, At least 16 major sequences are detectable Processes across a the present study subdivided the Upper Fort on a regional scale; sequences have an St. John Group into 16 genetically-related average periodicity of 125-170 kyr. Facies Cretaceous Ramp allomembers. The new allostratigraphic successions and regional stratal geometry correlations established in this study, suggest relative sea-level fluctuations were in a Rapidly- combined with previous studies, permit of the order of 10-30 m which, on a time- the reconstruction of lateral facies changes scale of the order of 100 kyr, can only be Subsiding from the western shoreline of the Western explained by a glacio-eustatic mechanism. Interior Seaway in the proximal foredeep Foredeep: Albian- to the forebulge in central Alberta, over a BIOGRAPHY distance of about 800 km. Piotr Angiel, Ph.D., is a geoscientist at Imperial Cenomanian of Oil. He is currently working in the Cold Lake The Upper Viking, Westgate and Fish Scales Geoscience team. He received his M.Sc. in NE British alloformations collectively span approximately Geography in 2003, and his M.Sc. in Geology 2.7 Myr. The stratal geometry of the studied in 2008, both from the University of Warsaw Columbia interval can be interpreted to be the result of in Poland. He worked 2 years as a researcher two pulses of flexural subsidence (recorded based at the Polish Antarctic Station on King SPEAKER by units VD and WA, and units WD, FA George Island (West Antarctica). In 2013 he Dr. Piotr Angiel and FB) separated by a period of more received his Ph.D. in Geology from the University Imperial Oil subdued subsidence (units WB and FC). The of Western Ontario. stratigraphic surfaces in the studied interval 12:00 Noon are of regional extent, and can be correlated INFORMATION Thursday, January 16th, 2014 for between 300-1000 km. Almost all flooding BASS Division talks are free. Please bring your ConocoPhillips Auditorium, Gulf surfaces can be traced throughout the study lunch. For further information about the division, Canada Square, area (50 000 km2). joining our mailing list, a list of upcoming talks, 401 – 9th Ave. S.W or if you wish to present a talk or lead a field Calgary, AB The sedimentological and stratigraphic trip, please contact either Steve Donaldson evidence indicates that the proximal foredeep at 403-766-5534, email: Steve.Donaldson@ ABSTRACT was occupied by a shallow, low-gradient, cenovus.com or Mark Caplan at 403-817-2603, The upper Albian to lower Cenomanian storm-dominated ramp. The abundance email: [email protected] or visit succession in northeastern British Columbia of wave-influenced structures (e.g. swaley our web page on the CSPG website at http:// was deposited in the proximal foredeep and and hummocky cross-stratification, wave www.cspg.org. is greatly vertically expanded relative to the and current ripples) suggests strong wave-
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RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 15 DIVISION TALKS PALEONTOLOGY DIVISION Sponsored by
however, as to how each continental fauna and gradually replaced one previous grade Traveling the developed with different lineages of sauropods. through Jurassic Period, and titanosauriforms East Asia from Middle to Late Jurassic times is excluded all other sauropod lineages across the Land of Dragons particularly an interesting place and time to explore Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary. this question. Unusually rich Middle Jurassic for Curiously localities from China — rare elsewhere in the BIOGRAPHY world — document a diverse array of sauropods Tetsuto Miyashita is Ph.D. student at the University Primitive from the most basal eusauropod Shunosaurus to of Alberta. A book by a prominent Canadian dinosaur the potentially oldest neosauropods Abrosaurus paleontologist Philip Currie – a Christmas gift from Sauropod and Bellusaurus. On the other hand, the Late parents when he was ten – sparked his dream of Jurassic sauropod fauna from China is dominated becoming a paleontologist. He moved to Drumheller, Dinosaurs almost entirely by a single genus Mamenchisaurus. Alberta, at age 16 to volunteer for Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. He followed the master SPEAKER Recent fieldwork in China recovered two new again to Philip’s appointment at the University of Tetsuto Miyashita sauropods that bear on this problem. One of Alberta, where he has been stumbling through Ph. D. Candidate, Department of Biological the two is a recently named taxon Nebulasaurus three degrees and one major illness, and where his Sciences, University of Alberta taito from the Middle Jurassic of Yunnan Province. academic deviations from paleontology into marine Although only known from a braincase, a cladistic biology, embryology, and invertebrate zoology (and all 7:30 PM analysis places Nebulasaurus as a sister taxon to other troubles he runs into) give constant headache Friday, January 17th, 2014 Spinophorosaurus from the Middle Jurassic of to his two supervisors, Philip and evolutionary Mount Royal University, Room B108 Africa. biologist Richard Palmer. His recent adventure was Calgary, AB to spend two summer months at Marine Biological The second taxon is a new genus and species of Laboratory at Woods Hole, MA, where he engaged ABSTRACT a mamenchisaurid from the Late Jurassic of Qijian in developmental research under Nobel laureates and China is an increasingly attractive country for District, southern China. The specimen consists Nobel hopefuls, and served as a class captain to lead doing dinosaur research, with new significant of an incomplete skull, partly articulated axial the 120th class of Embryology to smashing victory taxa added for almost every major lineage every skeleton, and fragmentary appendicular skeleton. over Physiology in a softball game after 13 years of decade. I recently had an opportunity to travel This new taxon is the first mamenchisaurid from losing streak. China for a month, partly for descriptive projects the Late Jurassic of China that is definitively distinct on sauropod dinosaurs and partly for continued from Mamenchisaurus, indicating a greater width INFORMATION work on tyrannosaur phylogeny and theropod to the morphological and taxonomic diversity of This event is jointly presented by the Alberta anatomy. This travel took me from the central the Late Jurassic mamenchisaurids. Palaeontological Society, Mount Royal University, the fossil collections in Beijing to various localities CSPG Palaeontology Division and Cenovus Energy. For in Sichuan Basin and to outskirts of the heavily The revised faunal list identified dramatic details or to present a talk in the future please contact industrial city of Chongqin. I will report on this transitions in the sauropodomorph fauna CSPG Paleo Division Chair Philip Benham at 403-691- trip, as well as introduce two new sauropods I from the Jurassic to Cretaceous of Asia; the 3343 or APS Coordinator Harold Whittaker at 403- worked on while in China. transitions are consistent with the geographic 286-0349 or contact [email protected] . isolation of that continent through Late Jurassic Visit the APS website for confirmation of event times Sauropod dinosaurs were dominant times. Non-sauropod sauropodomorphs, non- and upcoming speakers: http://www.albertapaleo.org/. megaherbivores on all continents throughout mamenchisaurid eusauropods (including basal the Jurassic times. It remains an open question, macronarians), and mamenchisaurids successively
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16 RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 DIVISION TALKS STRUCTURAL DIVISION Sponsored by
The Horn River Basin, a shale gas geologic applied to optimizing hydrocarbon recovery Using interval of commercial interest located in and improving field development. northeast British Columbia, has a significant Microseismic amount of natural gas in place. Therefore, BIOGRAPHY it is important to understand subsurface Neda Boroumand is a Ph.D. Student in Data to geomechanical behaviours so that retrieval Geophysics at the University of Calgary. Her of hydrocarbons can be optimized. A way to research is aimed at understanding the hydraulic Understand achieve this is by fracture modeling, which fracture process by integrating concepts from requires a set of inputs from geological data Geophysics, Engineering and Geology. Subsurface such as logs, engineering data like fracture treatment design, and more recently She is the Team Lead for the microseismic Properties geophysical data such as microseismic maps. processing division of Halliburton in Canada. She has gained extensive experience in the Through One of the goals of modeling is to obtain a acquisition, processing and interpretation match between the observed and modeled of microseismic activity related to hydraulic Hydraulic fracture geometries. An energy based fracturing and reservoir monitoring. She has hydraulic fracture model is constructed been involved in a number of publications Fracture so that one, a relationship between the and has performed and overseen hundreds various physical process (e.g. energy input of microseismic monitoring projects in Modeling and output components) can be examined unconventional oil/gas reservoirs. and two, parameter selection of the various SPEAKER inputs can be determined. Calibration of Neda is the incoming 2014 Chair of the CSEG Neda Boroumand fracture/geomechanical models using Chief Geopysicists Forum and currently serves IUniversity of Calgary microseismic imaging brings new capabilities on the CSEG/CGF Microseismic Subcommittee. to parameter selection at the hydraulic 12 noon fracture scale. INFORMATION Thursday, January 23, 2014 Structural Division talks are monthly-ish Conference Centre Room A, Two examples are presented where and cover a diversity of structural themes. +30 level, Western Canadian Place parameters are adjusted in order to calibrate Our Structural Division sponsors are HEF (Husky Energy), 707-8th Avenue S.W. the fracture model based on microseismic Petrophysical and Husky Energy. All are welcome Calgary, Alberta data; observed upward growth of the and no registration is required. For additional fracture is fit by adjusting stress-barrier information, to be placed on the Division e-mail ABSTRACT contrasts, and fracture length is fit by altering list or to present a talk, please contact Darcie Since its introduction by the industry in 1947, empirical parameters such as fracture Greggs, [email protected]. millions of hydraulic fracture treatments toughness. The breakdown of the various have been conducted until 2013 and led energy components considered are also to enhanced hydrocarbon recovery. This shown and represent the physical processes technique is most commonly used today to taking place during the hydraulic fracture. access oil and gas located in unconventional By calibrating fracture parameters based reservoirs such as shale and tight sand on microseismic observations, important formations. geomechanical insights can be achieved and
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RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 17 DIVISION TALKS GEOMODELING DIVISION Sponsored by
wells and infill drilling with multi-lateral relative impact each step of the interpretation Honoring the horizontal wells. The Freda Lake, Skinner has on a volumetric ranking criteria. Final Lake, and Neptune pools produce from the calibration of the model parameters is then Depositional, lower Ratcliffe member (Oungre Beds) of the done using dynamic flow simulation and history Mississippian Charles Formation in the north- match analysis. Diagenetic, and central Williston Basin. The producing interval consists of inter-fingered limestone, dolomite, EXAMPLE Tectonic History and anhydrite with stratigraphic trapping due This modeling approach has yielded a high to lateral facies changes and an overlying resolution static model for the Freda Lake, in a 3D evaporite. In order to build a representative Skinner Lake, and Neptune pools. It has model the depositional, diagenetic, and been shown that MPFS modeling was able to Computational tectonic factors that influence the reservoir honor the epeiric ramp depositional model, have been considered as independent elements preserving interpreted facies distributions and Model of a and then combined in a sequential workflow. relationships. Using history match analysis, Results of the model have been used to porosity and permeability values have been Carbonate improve understanding of the areal reservoir fine-tuned using the diagentic and tectonic limits, enhance OOIP estimates, and optimize trends and modifiers. With a validated model Reservoir: the development strategy. a much improved understanding of the areal extent of the reservoir and associated Charles Fm., S.E. METHOD uncertainty in reservoir properties has been Incorporating the depositional, diagenetic, and reached. This has allowed for an improved Saskatchewan tectonic factors in a reservoir model can be assessment of OOIP across the pools and achieved by addressing them independently and helped define the capacity for the development SPEAKER then building them into the model following program. The model is actively being used Garrett K. Timmerman the interpreted geologic development of to optimize development scenarios for the Geomodeler the reservoir. Core and wireline log data future. Enerplus Corporation have been utilized to identify and model the depositional facies in the reservoir using CONCLUSIONS 12:00 Noon multi-point facies simulation (MPFS). Optimal By sub-dividing the elements that affect the Wednesday, January 29th, 2014 reservoir trends generated from mapping reservoir, their relative impact and sensitivities Husky Conference Room A and seismic attributes have been applied to on volumetric and simulation performance +30 Level South Tower the petrophysical properties that have been can be independently modified and analyzed. 707 8th Ave. SW seeded into the facies model, giving a further This has yielded a high-confidence reservoir Calgary, Alberta T2P 3G7 subdivision into reservoir units. Zones of higher model that has been used to improve the fracture intensity are interpreted from seismic understanding of areal limits and improve ABSTRACT attributes and then input into the model as OOIP calculations. INTRODUCTION local permeability and porosity enhancements A reservoir model has been constructed based on the attribute distribution. Since each BIOGRAPHY for three pools currently undergoing a element is handled independently, uncertainty Garrett Timmerman is a geomodeler with development plan that includes waterflood and sensitivity workflows can be applied to Enerplus, where he has developed and maintained support from existing vertical and horizontal each element in the sequence to determine the models for Saskatchewan and Alberta assets
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18 RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 Three key elements in reservoir parameter distribution. for over two years. Previously he worked for Technological University, and a M.Sc. in Geology welcome non-members of the CSPG. Please bring Schlumberger Data and Consulting services from the University of Montana. your lunch. For details or to present a geomodeling as a reservoir characterization instructor and talk in the future, please contact Weishan Ren at a borehole geologist in Midland, Texas and INFORMATION (403) 724-0325, e-mail: [email protected]. Calgary. He has a B.Sc. in Geology from Michigan There is no charge for the division talk and we
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RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 19 ROCK SHOP
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20 RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 GEOMECHANICS FOR EVERYONE Part 5: Caprock Integrity of High-Pressure Injection Processes | By P.M.Collins, Petroleum Geomechanics Inc.; R.Bachman, Taurus Reservoir Solutions; Q.Chou, Weatherford
INTRODUCTION TO THE ARTICLE BY AMY FOX, CANADIAN DISCOVERY Well, we have reached the final in our series of geomechanics articles for Reservoir. I think all of the authors will agree that it was a real challenge to pack a lot of information into each piece. At our early brainstorming meetings we came up with ideas that could have resulted in many more. Part of the problem is that our field is so broad, touching on, if not overlapping with, many others such as geophysics and engineering. I hope that we’ve at least been able to highlight some of the most pressing geomechanical topics in industry today. This final article certainly does. Being from Figure 1: Schematic of SAGD Deformations. the U.S., where thermal operations are far less prominent than in Canada, particularly Alberta, As such, the integrity of the caprock and recovery methods operate at low pressure I greatly appreciate the insight that the authors associated wellbores is essential. Hydraulic but the thermal effects are significant. provide on the importance of geomechanics containment demands a laterally continuous in processes such as Steam-assisted Gravity geological formation of sufficiently low Most of these processes require high- Drainage (SAGD). permeability and high capillary pressure to pressure injection. Saturated steam at higher prevent the escape of reservoir fluids. The pressures has higher temperatures, resulting I hope that readers have enjoyed the series and will need for mechanical containment is vital. in much lower bitumen viscosities, so the continue to come to its authors and contributors This requires that the minimum stress in the associated faster start-up, higher bitumen when issues relevant to geomechanics come up caprock exceeds its fluid pressure at all times. rates, and higher recovery factors are the in their day-to-day work. I will say adieu for now Additionally the caprock must withstand the economic incentives for operating at the by thanking my friends and colleagues, and even stresses and deformations imposed upon it highest possible MOP for the early years of complete strangers, for the positive feedback by the recovery process (Figure 1). a project. we’ve received these last few months. It’s been a fun and, I hope, relationship-building project! RECOVERY PROCESSES SAGD projects can reap thermal and The workhorse of in situ recovery has geomechanical benefits with start-up INTRODUCTION been CSS. Due to the low injectivity of cold pressures close to the fracture pressure. The in situ recovery of bitumen from bituminous oilsands, CSS steam injection Cenovus’ Enhanced Start-up Operations oilsands and now carbonates has expanded must exceed the reservoir’s fracture and Southern Pacific’s High-Pressure Steam in magnitude. The dominant recovery pressure. For optimal performance and Stimulation schemes promote faster start-up, process was cyclic steam stimulation (CSS) safety, CSS is limited to reservoirs with no better steam conformance along the wellpair, above fracture pressure but that has now thief zones where the minimum in situ stress and permanently enhanced permeability and been surpassed by steam-assisted gravity is or becomes vertical. This ensures the porosity around the wellpairs. drainage (SAGD). Air injection (AI), electrical development of horizontal fractures within methods, and solvent-assisted processes are the reservoir that contact a large surface High-pressure injection demands caution to now being used as primary, secondary, and area. SAGD is now the dominant in situ avoid caprock failure by tensile fracture, hybridized recovery processes. recovery process. While SAGD operates shear fracture, or thermal consolidation. below fracture pressure, geomechanical Historical incidents (CSS: Texaco Athabasca All high-pressure injection processes must enhancements of porosity, permeability Pilot Project, 1979; Imperial Oil Cold Lake, contain fluids within the reservoir at all and relative permeability can be attained 1988; CNRL Primrose, 2009 & 2013; SAGD: times. Reservoir fluids escaping to shallower by operating at pressures that promote TOTAL Joslyn Creek, 2006; Devon Jackfish, formations will result in groundwater shear failure within the reservoir. Air 2010) underline the need for containment. contamination and lost production. In the injection requires high rates to ensure high- Ensuring caprock integrity must be a extreme, there is the potential for a surface temperature oxidation; this will result in high multi-disciplinary approach incorporating release of fluids or in the worst case a reservoir pressures that could compromise geophysics, geology, geomechanics, and blowout to surface. It would be difficult if caprock integrity. While warm solvent and reservoir engineering. not impossible to remediate any damage solvent-assisted processes are less likely to to the caprock. This could result in a much compromise the caprock, integrity should be GEOLOGY lower limit to subsequent steam-injection checked to ensure that no solvent escapes, The typical stratigraphy of western Canadian pressures and the potential sterilization of both because of the environmental hazard heavy oil and bitumen reservoirs consists of the reserves. and the high cost of solvent. Electrical (Continued on page 22...)
RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 21 large-scale interpretations of the lateral continuity of caprock and may provide insight to formation depths and thicknesses. However, the resolution may be too imprecise for smaller faults. Seismic aids in interpolating between well profiles to identify larger faulting, folding and slumping. Airborne resistivity mapping is cost-effective in identifying missing or thinning caprock for shallower projects. LiDAR detects surficial features that may indicate fault lineations and dissolution trends.
Dipole sonic logs provide compressional and shear velocities for calculating geomechanical properties. Spectral GR logs provide a corrected gamma ray (CGR) that excludes radioactive sands and silts that can be mistaken for clays. Formation micro-image (FMI) logs quantify the orientation of faults and joints but must be corroborated with visual core logging to ensure that all core features have been identified. Visual core Figure 2: Carbonate Karst Doline underlying Oilsand Reservoir. logging is essential, especially since high GR intervals may be heavily fractured or could be (...Continued from page 21) after the deposition of the mudstone glacial till, not caprock. unconsolidated sandstones overlain with caprock. The displacement of oilsands into mudstone caprock. In deeper areas there the created voidage causes the caprock Microseismic monitoring permits a precise may be more than one such sequence. to drape and extend, thereby reducing determination of the locations of microseisms These lie unconformably on carbonates, horizontal stresses. Often this will reduce that occur in the reservoir and caprock in some of which are bitumen-bearing the fracture pressure and can result in a response to processes. Most seisms are small reservoirs. Over millions of years, up to change in the preferred fracture orientation (low energy) and the oilsands and mudstones 1km of overburden rock has been eroded. from horizontal to vertical. These are attenuate the seismic signal which limits the To varying degrees, recent glaciation has controlling factors in the determination of range of geophones to a few hundred metres. folded, faulted, thrusted, and eroded the Maximum Operating Pressure (MOP) and caprock and possibly the oilsands, leaving the choice of recovery process. CAPROCK CORING AND paleochannels, surficial sands and gravels, GEOMECHANICAL LABORATORY glacial tills, and glaciolacustrine deposits. Geological characterizations of projects TESTS should identify variability. It is essential to Geomechanical laboratory tests on core These reservoirs are comparatively shallow, ensure that the caprock is flat: geological specimens quantify the strength and resulting in lower stresses and less geological marker beds in caprock must have a stiffness characteristics of the caprock. confinement. The oilsands themselves are consistent, near-horizontal dip. Anomalies Laboratory results are used as input into extremely dense but uncemented; any indicate post-depositional deformation. analytical or numerical models to calculate disturbance permanently increases the the geomechanical consequences of any porosity and permeability. The mudstone The hydrocarbon resource is an extra- proposed field operating scheme. caprock, being 60% silt and 30% clay, is heavy oil and bitumen resulting from the frictionally strong and impermeable over biodegradation of conventional oil. This has Geomechanical coring of caprock must the engineering timeframe of these recovery left complex reservoir fluid distributions preserve the mechanical integrity of the processes. However, these mudstones are including high transmissibility zones of top mudstone. Caprock core must be prevented weakly indurated and are not true shales. gas, bottom water, and intraformational from freezing, drying, vibration, or bending. The underlying Devonian carbonates, having lean zones. These “thief zones” compromise Once in the lab, CT scans help identify been exposed for millions of years prior process containment within the reservoir. specimens for testing. Core logging then to the deposition of the Cretaceous sands Regional downcutting of river valleys through identifies planes of weakness and the and mudstones, can be extremely dense the caprock and oilsands has permitted extent of any natural fractures (Figure 3). or weathered, and vary from limestone lateral drainage that has resulted in Their orientations are obtained from a to dolostone and marl. Dissolution has reservoirs being underpressured by as much paleomagnetic test or FMI log. Index tests resulted in breccias, vugs, and dolines as 1000 kPa. In some areas, exploitation such as Atterberg limits, hydrometer particle (subsurface sinkholes, Figure 2, Husky of associated gas caps has further lowered size analyses, specific gravity, unconfined Caribou Application, 2008). the reservoir pressures such that the compressive strength, and X-Ray Diffraction MOP provides insufficient temperature to (XRD) are helpful in characterizing the rock. Geological anomalies (e.g.: karsting, salt mobilize the bitumen economically. dissolution, faulting, erosion) alter the Shear strength parameters are obtained geomechanical characteristics of projects, GEOPHYSICS with the triaxial compression and the direct particularly when these alterations occurred Seismic surveys are invaluable in providing shear tests. In the triaxial compression test,
22 RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 which case any large induced fractures would be horizontal.
Unusually, there is little contrast in stresses between the caprock and oilsands. As such, there is no large stress increase in the caprock that would prevent the upward growth of fractures within the reservoir. If so, injection pressures must decline as the steam chamber/chest approaches the Figure 3: Two natural fractures intersecting in a caprock core, Clearwater Formation. caprock to avoid any possibility of fractures breaching the caprock. a confining stress is applied to a cylinder of and a plane of weakness. Figure 4 (bottom) core and the axial stress is changed until shows the effect of the orientation of a plane Complicating this compressive stress failure. This test is repeated for multiple of weakness within the caprock. regime are geological features such as faults, core specimens at different confining karsting, erosion, all of which will stress- stresses. Triaxial tests should allow fluid Testing can be done at elevated temperatures relieve the rock and lower fracture pressures. to drain from the core as the load is slowly to obtain the coefficient of thermal expansion. Erosion includes nearby filled paleochannels, applied, with the strain rate designed to Triaxial tests can be repeated at elevated contemporary river downcutting, open-pit minimize excess pore pressures generated temperatures to quantify any changes in mines, and CHOPS operations. Erosion during the test. Stiffness parameters of strength or stiffness. also depressures reservoirs by providing a Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio are nearby outcrop at atmospheric pressure. As calculated from the triaxial stress:strain STRESSES such, fracture gradients can fall to 11 or 12 curves. The Rocky Mountain Orogeny has imposed kPa/m. This places lower limits on MOP and compressional strains in the rock formations may require special techniques for drilling, Direct shear tests measure the shear strength in western Canada. These strains increase casing, cementing, and workovers to avoid along pre-existing planes of weakness and the stress perpendicular to the Rockies such accidental fracturing. through intact rock. Peak and residual that it becomes the major horizontal stress, strengths are obtained for different confining and usually higher than the vertical stress for MINIFRACS stresses. shallow projects. The other horizontal stress Minifrac tests are critical in determining the increases to a lesser extent so it becomes minimum stress (fracture pressure) in both Ultimately Mohr-Coulomb plots are the fracture pressure unless it exceeds the caprock and the oilsand formations. The constructed to show the shear failure the vertical stress (Figure 5). The vertical caprock’s fracture pressure determines the envelopes. FIgure 4 (top) shows Mohr- (overburden) stress may be the minimum project MOP. There are currently three major Coulomb failure envelopes for intact rock value for projects shallower than ~300m, in (Continued on page 24...)
Figure 4: Typical Peak and Residual Mudstone Strengths and the Effect of a Plane of Weakness. Figure 5: Stress Profile with Compressional Tectonics.
RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 23 pressure for the SAGD MOP. This could be overly cautious during the start-up phases of SAGD if there are tens of metres of rich, bituminous oilsand between the injector well and the base of the caprock. The AER itself is aware of this conservatism and has made some exceptions for start-up procedures where conditions and monitoring allow.
Shear failure occurs at a pressure lower than the fracture pressure. In oilsands, this is more likely to occur in the reservoir itself, which is beneficial in terms of geomechanical enhancement to the injection process.
Shear failure within the caprock is inhibited Figure 6: Minifrac Pump-In Shut-in Test(muddy tidal flat) by the inability of high pressures to penetrate the caprock. If steam contacts the caprock, the maximum shear stress typically occurs at the base of the caprock at the thermal shock front (Figure 7). In SAGD operations it may take years for the thermal front to rise to the base of the caprock (e.g.: Collins, et al., 2011). This rate of steam rise is dictated by the vertical permeability of the reservoir.
There is also the potential for repressuring any planes of weakness, which is one reason why lab swelling tests are done: If the caprock swells in contact with distilled water (i.e., condensed steam) then incipient leakage and pressure transmission will be stopped. Simple shear strength calculations can be done to assess the Factor of Safety (FS) against shearing, both in the intact rock and along planes of weakness.
UNCOUPLED GEOMECHANICAL/ Figure 7: Shear stress at base of caprock RESERVOIR SIMULATION Simple analytical techniques cannot (...Continued from page 23) temperature, resulting in a volume reduction incorporate complexities in geology or types of tests: (i) openhole tests over a short that causes contractional strains and geometry and it is difficult to account for interval with small-volume injection with an lowers stresses. This can affect the base the complex interaction with the recovery RFT tool, (ii) injection into a 0.52m perforated of the caprock when in contact with high process over time. As such, an uncoupled interval followed by shut-in, and (iii) injection/ temperatures but it also affects wellbore geomechanical/reservoir simulation may be flowback wherein after injection the well integrity as hot fluids heat the casing and warranted to determine the FS for any is flowed at a constant rate. Multiple cycles the surrounding formations. This can lead proposed development plan; i.e. how close ensure repeatability in all types of tests. to annular leakage, particularly after shut-in, the caprock gets to geomechanical failure, as e.g.: workovers. seen in a cross section of a SAGD reservoir, Typical Injection/Shut-in pressures are Figure 8. shown in Figure 6. There are currently three GEOMECHANICAL ANALYSIS interpretation methodologies: “traditional” Analytical techniques for determining failure MONITORING specialized plots first introduced by Nolte, a vary from the simple to the complex. As Monitoring is necessary to ensure that “holistic” approach by Barree that is the basis an example, the Alberta Energy Regulator project behaviour falls within an acceptable for most commercial software, and pressure (AER) has been tending towards using a rule- range. In observation wells, pressures are transient analysis. There is no consensus of-thumb of 80% of the caprock’s fracture measured with vibrating-wire piezometers; as to how best to interpret fall-offs. This is of great concern because the difference in reported closure stresses may be dependent on the interpretation approach being used.
THERMAL CONSOLIDATION Thermal consolidation occurs when clay minerals are heated beyond a threshold Figure 8: Shear Stress Level in Caprock above SAGD Wellpairs
24 RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 temperatures with thermocouples or fibre throughout the project life. Maintaining paper CSUG/SPE 149226-PP, proc. Canadian optics. Continuous updating of the predictive caprock integrity is an essential component Unconventional Resources Conference, joint model will be necessary to ensure that of any recovery process, particularly those conf. of CSUG and SPE, Calgary, Alberta, observed behaviour is history-matched, which employing high-pressure injection. 15–17 November 2011, 9pp adds confidence to predicted behaviour. REFERENCES Dusseault, M.B., M.S. Bruno, and J. Barrera Surface deformations can be inverted to Alberta Energy Regulator (2013) DRAFT (2001) Casing Shear: Causes, Cases, Cures, infer subsurface volumetric strains and shear Directive 023: Guidelines Respecting an paper SPE 72060, SPE Drilling & Completions, displacements. Measurement techniques Application for a Commercial Crude Bitumen June, pp.98-107. include precise levelling, GPS, InSAR, and Recovery and Upgrading Project , 28 May 2013, tiltmeters. 4-D seismic surveys are used 89pp. Husky (2008) Application No. 1589158: to monitor the progressing recovery Caribou Lake Thermal Demonstration Project, process. Annual surveys monitor changes http://www.aer.ca/rules-and-regulations/ Amendment Application, Husky Oil Operations in seismic velocities, from which changes directives/directive-023-draft Limited. Registered on October 2, 2008. in fluid saturation are inferred. However, Withdrawn April 8, 2009 the velocity changes due to geomechanical Collins, P.M., D.A. Walters, T. Perkins, effects are often larger. J.D. Kuhach, and E. Veith (2011) Effective Caprock Determination for SAGD Projects, Monitoring of the injection pressures, temperatures, rates, volumes, and mass balance are the driving forces behind WELLSITE GEOSCIENCE SERVICES the process and give early insights into irregularities. This monitoring must be integrated with the facilities design and control such that upsets in operations, particularly injecting at pressures in excess of the MOP, are prevented.
REGULATOR The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER, formerly ERCB) manages the oil and gas industry’s environmental, health, and public safety issues while expecting the efficient extraction of resources by industry. Project approval requires quantifying risks, developing an acceptable monitoring program and contingency plans in case of failure. AER’s Draught Directive 23 (AER, 2013) for project approval/operation addresses caprock integrity aspects of in-situ projects. The AER has also been proactive in initiating the Oil Sand Cap Rock Investigation Project (OSCRIP) to study caprock issues in the Athabasca oilsands.
SUMMARY When time is money, This article has described the critical role Wellsite Geoscience is geomechanics plays in the safe and efficient extraction of western Canada’s heavy oil and money well spent. bitumen resources. Any new project should Whether you’re exploring a basin, producing a well or completing start with a comprehensive geological/ a shale play, time is money. That’s why Weatherford Laboratories geophysical assessment followed by coring, brings a suite of formation evaluation technologies right to the logging and minifrac tests. Geomechanical wellsite. Utilizing mud gas and cuttings, these technologies provide laboratory tests on the cores quantify the detailed data on gas composition, organic richness, mineralogy strength and stiffness properties of the and chemostratigraphy in near real time. As a result, operators now reservoir and caprock. Once a suitable set of have an invaluable tool to assist with sweet spot identification, reservoir and geomechanical properties are wellbore positioning, completion design and hydraulic fracturing. determined, models are required to confirm We call it Science At the Wellsite. You’ll call it money well spent. the safety of any proposed recovery scheme. SCIENCE AT THE WELLSITE™ The results of this workflow represent www.weatherfordlabs.com part of the application to the Regulator for project approval. Subsequently, any Formation Evaluation ┃Well Construction ┃Completion ┃Production development plan would also require a ©2013 Weatherford. All rights reserved comprehensive monitoring program
RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 25 2013 GUSSOW GEOSCIENCE CONFERENCE Importance of Rock Properties in Unconventional Reservoirs | By Chad Glemser and Ryan Mohr, Gussow Technical Chair’s
Sean Lovric, Nexen Energy ULC explored the fundamentals and value of microseismic data through observation, new methods of data collection, and coupling data with seismic attributes (such as Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio) and new monitoring technologies (i.e. DAS) to explain stimulated rock volume, interaction with structural features and causation of induced seismicity relating to hydraulic fracturing and estimating This year’s Gussow Geoscience Conference, sedimentology while integrating these data with permeabilities based on microseismic data. Importance of Rock Properties in well-logs and seismic to better sweet-spot Unconventional Reservoirs, was held October these tight reservoirs. The session on Multidisciplinary Studies, led by 15th to 17th in Banff and attracted 105 Dr. Roberto Aguilera, Conoco-Phillips Chair participants from both Canada and the US. The Geomechanics and Natural Fracture in Tight Gas Engineering at the University of Presentations were given by 24 international Characterization session was led by Dr. Jon Calgary, focused on the integration of multiple experts from both industry and academia that Olson, University of Texas at Austin, and disciplines with a common goal of increasing aimed to highlight the key subsurface challenges examined the role of natural fractures in production rates and ultimate recoveries from while presenting new ideas and methods for reservoir processes. This was accomplished low permeability reservoirs. Presentations exploring and developing low permeability through identifying and discussing methods examined the role of organic constituents, core reservoirs. In addition to the presentations, for characterizing the interaction of hydraulic and log data calibration, hydraulic fracturing, scheduled breaks and networking sessions fractures with natural fractures in shales and resource estimates and regional mapping of allowed ample time for participants to network siltstones. Supporting talks were given by Dr. production data to illustrate play trends and and discuss various topics relating to the Paul MacKay, Shale Petroleum Ltd., Paul La sweetspots. Speakers in this session were conference theme. Pointe, Golder Associates Inc., Pat McLellan, Dr. Roberto Aguilera, Robert Taylor and Eric Talisman Energy and Dr. Jim Evans, Utah State Hards, Halliburton, Dave Quirk, Trican Well The meeting schedule was divided into five University, that provided additional insight into Service, Dr. Kirk Osadetz, Geological Survey sub-themes with each being led by a high profile geomechanical theory, experiments and field of Canada, and Michael Morgan, GLJ Petroleum international expert. To open the conference examples (outcrop, core, borehole imaging and Consultants. Dr. Chris Clarkson, EnCana-AITF Chair in DFITs) to explain the role of natural fractures Unconventional Gas and Light Oil Development on fluid flow and resource play deliverability. To close the conference a panel discussion at the University of Calgary, provided the was held with all of the session chairs that Keynote Presentation. His talk focused on the Petrophysics in Unconventional Reservoirs, led proved lively with abundant audience complexities and challenges of understanding by Dr. Quinn Passey of ExxonMobil Upstream interaction. Questions focused on the the fluid storage and transport mechanics Research Company, looked at the petrophysical evolution of knowledge in understanding shale in low porosity and permeability reservoirs. evaluation and evolution of shale gas and shale gas/oil reservoir properties, the future of He demonstrated this through the use of oil reservoirs by understanding the occurrence unconventional resources and important topics novel pore measurement techniques (CO2 of organic-matter pores, in both bitumen/ such as use of technical data for resource and N2 adsorption and SANS/USANS) that pyrobitumen and kerogen, and matrix porosity. estimation and disclosure. provide nano-scale information about the pore Presentations by Dr. Zoyia Heidari, Texas structure that can be directly combined with A&M University, Matt Determan, ExxonMobil As a follow-up to the meeting, a call for papers permeability measurements (either laboratory Upstream Research Company, Lyn Canter, was sent out to speakers for a special edition or well-test) to explain reservoir quality. Whiting Petroleum Corporation and Jack Breig, of the Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology Whiting Petroleum Corporation, investigated that we plan to have completed by end of The first session of the conference was the theoretical impact of pyrite and kerogen summer 2014. Mudstone Sedimentology that was led by on saturation estimation from resistivity, Dr. Juergen Schieber of Indiana University. explanation of extracting in-situ permeabilities On behalf of the organizing committee we His presentation focused on experimental from shale samples using a steady-state would like to extend a big thank you to all of sedimentology and how it show the processes apparatus, and core-log calibration and sweet- the session chairs, speakers and delegates. The that deposit and eroded mudstones, and spotting studies on the Niobrara Formation, 2013 Gussow conference was a huge success how this knowledge can lead to better respectively. because of your willingness to share ideas interpretations of the rock record. Additional and dedicate time and effort. We would also presentations within this session were given by Seismic Attributes and Microseismic Advances like to acknowledge and thank the conference Ken Potma, Imperial Oil Ltd., Dr. Jay Kalbas, session was led by Dr. Mirko van der Baan sponsors for their support; Nexen Energy ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company, and of the University of Alberta. Presentations ULC, APEGA, Schlumberger, Baker Hughes and Dr. Per Kent Pedersen, University of Calgary, by Jim Rutledge, Schlumberger, Paige Snelling, Apache. Thank you to Kristy Casebeer, CSPG, that examined formations from Canada and Microseismic Inc., Barbara Cox, Shell Canada for her time and effort organizing the venue and the US through the fundamentals of mudstone Energy, Rodney Johnston, BP Canada, and conference materials.
26 RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 GEOCONVENTION 2014: FOCUS May 12-16, 2014, www.geoconvention.com
opportunities for a geologist to recapture presentations will also be broadcast to that curiosity: to look at core from around a secondary classroom with additional the province and around the world, and seating. Over the two days, there will gain new ideas and new perspective be chances for open discussion with the to bring back to their own work area. presenters beside their chosen core and Combined with the opportunity to meet poster. FOCUS ON CORE other geoscientists and discuss new (and Do you remember the first time you old) developments in their field. As well, Abstract submission is now open, closing looked at core? What did you think about this is the perfect opportunity for students on January 10th, 2014. As in years what you were looking at? A chunk of to network with senior geoscientists, previous, there will be lunches provided rock, tens of millions of years old? to learn from some of the best at the by Weatherford and the whole event will beginning of their long careers in the be capped off by the ever-popular AGAT Were you thinking about the processes industry. Core Meltdown, a great chance to mingle that created that rock? Of ancient rivers, with some of the best people in the world: beaches, submarine environments, coastal The 2014 Core Conference will have a geoscientists. plains, caves? Or were you thinking about variety of cores, from academic as well as the potential locked in that core, of industry presenters, which will illustrate Ray Geuder, Core Conference Co-Chair porosity and permeability, oil and gas? Or new fields and new ideas in old fields. Even Kelty Latos, Core Conference Co-Chair perhaps of what happened to the rock old ideas in old fields will be highlighted, after it was deposited, of diagenesis and with a special Turner Valley core session, fractures? in celebration of the centennial on May 14th. A lecture hall will be set up within The Core Conference at the 2014 the massive core storage warehouse for GeoConvention is one of the best presentations on the core displays. The CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
Submit your abstract by January 10, 2014 www.geoconvention.com/conference Conference themes will FOCUS on adapting to change, refining workflows and sustaining the continuing evolution of technology in the oil and gas industry.
Exhibit Space, Sponsorship & Advertising available
cspg.org May 12-16, 2014 Calgary, Alberta
RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 27 GO TAKE A HIKE Windy Peak & Hailstone Butte, Livingstone Range, AB | By William Jamison and Dylan Jamison
Trailhead: The access road to the trailhead is Hwy. 532, which is a gravel road that connects Hwy 22 (junction just north of Chain Lakes) to the Forestry Trunk Road (Hwy 940) at the Savanna Creek gas field. Two trails (Hailstone Butte & Windy Peak) begin near a parking lot located at the “the Hump,” which is the high spot along this gravel road (at the end of a long, steep grade from the east). Neither trail is marked or maintained. Windy Peak trail begins on the east side of small pond near the parking area, heading uphill to the south. Hailstone Butte trail begins directly across the road from the parking area, following a minor drainage for a short distance before heading up the slope to the north. Both trails are reasonably well defined by usage, but they do have confusing splits and faded definition. The trail guides of Daffern (1997) provide useful hiking directions and instructions for both trails.
Distance: The distance to the first major viewpoint on the Windy Peak trail (pt. A) is 1 km, with an elevation gain of 230 m. The distance to Windy Peak itself is 6 km, with a cumulative elevation gain of 550 m (Daffern, 1997). The distance to Hailstone Butte is 2 km, with an elevation gain of slightly over 400 m.
Please note that both grizzlies and cougars have been encountered in the Livingstone Range, so take proper defensive gear and do not travel alone!
These two trails provide views, from many different perspectives, of the intense deformation within the Livingstone Thrust complex, as 2 km well as magnificent vistas of the rolling outer Foothills and plains to the east.
The peaks and ridges of the Livingstone Range are formed by MAP: Annotated excerpt from GSC map 1837A (Norris, 1993) showing Mississippian-age carbonates that have been folded, transported and geology in view from the Windy Peak and Hailstone Butte trails. uplifted by a sequence of thrust faults that emerge on the east slope Photo A: (below) View north from pt. A along Windy Peak trail (see map) of the range as the Livingstone Thrust “complex.” Norris (1997) of Hailstone Butte, the Sentinel Peak Thrust and a syncline developed in lower designates the western fault of this complex as the Sentinel Peak Cretaceous beds in the footwall to this thrust. Dylan is standing next to near- vertical beds in lower Cretaceous clastics. White building on Hailstone Butte is Thrust and the eastern fault as the Livingstone Thrust. Between fire lookout station. Dotted yellow line is section of Hailstone Butte trail. these two boundaries (a distance of 4.5-5 km) an array of tight folds and thrusts are well displayed in Kootenay and Blairmore Group clastics. The Livingstone Thrust system is interpreted to have a minimum displacement here of 15 km (Norris, 1997). Paul MacKay (2001) suggests this is actually the southern extension of the McConnell Thrust, linked via a series of thrusts between this location and Mt. Head, ~25 km to the north.
Windy Peak trail contains many open views of the folds and faults that crop out on the east slope of Hailstone Butte (A & B). Hailstone Butte itself is underlain by very gently dipping Mississippian Mount Head Fm. (locally capped by Mississippian Etherington and Pennsylvanian Misty Fm.). The absence of folding in the hangingwall carbonates is a stark contrast to the footwall deformation. However, there are major folds within these carbonates along strike to the south; they have simply been eroded at this location.
Windy Peak trail continues to the south (C), providing a receding and expanding view of Hailstone Butte and the footwall structures. One of the Hailstone Butte trail options goes directly to the up-turned
28 RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 B
Photo B: Distant view of complex folds developed in lower Cretaceous clastics within Livingstone thrust “complex.” Dark yellow line is near base Kbl.
D Photo D: Near vertical beds of lower Kbl on west limb of syncline beneath Sentinel Peak Thrust (see “X” in photo A).
lower Cretaceous beds that are folded beneath Sentinel Peak Thrust (D). This folding is accompanied by intense Photo C: View south of Windy Peak. Dotted yellow lines are sections of Windy Peak trail. fracturing of the exposed rocks and also by abundant shearing along surfaces that are parallel or sub-parallel to bedding. The trail then continues upslope through benches of the Mississippian carbonates to the forestry fire lookout (operational in summer) on the point of the butte.
REFERENCES: Norris, D.K. 1993. Geology and structure cross sections, Langford Creek (west half), Alberta; Geological Survey of Canada, Map 1837A, scale 1:50,000. Daffern, G. 1997. Kananaskis country trail guide, vol. 2 (3rd ed.), Rocky Mountain Books, 320 pp. MacKay, P.A. 2001. Canadian Rockies Structural Geology Field Trip Guide.
The Reservoir Committee welcomes contributions from our readership to this series. If you wish to offer a submission to Go Take a Hike on your favourite hike of geological interest, email the Reservoir at Emma. [email protected] for more information. Photo E: View east from central part of Windy Peak trail. Steeply dipping lower Cretaceous beds in foreground. More distant tree-covered hills are underlain by upper Cretaceous rocks in outer Foothills.
RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 29 CSPG Annual General Meeting
Please join us on January 9th, 2014 for the CSPG AGM and first Technical Luncheon of 2014!
AGM - 11:30am - 12:00pm Technical Luncheon - 12:00pm - 1:00pm
For more information and to register online please visit www.cspg.org
CSPG & AAPG Canada Region Turner Valley Centennial Celebration 2014!
We are looking for historians, geologists and Alberta oil & gas industry enthusiasts to help us celebrate the 100th anniversary of Turner Valley! The CSPG and the AAPG Canada Region have teamed up to help run a field trip from Calgary to Turner Valley with other points of interest stops included along the way. The 100 year Anniversary Alberta’s first oil well; Dingman #1 is on May 14, 2014 at the Turner Valley Gas Plant. We are looking for volunteers who have a knowledge of the oil and gas industry of Alberta as well as the geology of the Turner Valley area. If you would like to be involved in this expedition in any way please contact the CSPG office—Kelsey Green, [email protected], 403-513-1225
30 RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 PHOTO OF THE MONTH
The exposed geology of the Yosemite Valley is primarily granitic. The formation of the valley is complex and includes volcanism, uplift, erosion and glaciation. Yosemite Valley, California. Photo By: Michael Lam
RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 31 THE 2014 CSPG EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
PRESIDENT – DALE LECKIE
EDUCATION: B.Sc. (Honours), University of Alberta (1977); M.Sc., McMaster University (1979); Ph.D., McMaster University (1984). EXPERIENCE: Petro-Canada (1983-1985); Geological Survey of Canada (1985-1998); Nexen Energy ULC (1998-present). PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: CSPG, AAPG, APEGA, APEGS, SEPM. CSPG ACTIVITIES: CSPG Conference Organization; Co-Organizer of 2009 CSPG William C. Gussow Geoscience Conference “Towards Sustainable Oil Sands Development.” Oct 5-7, 2009, Banff, Canada; Co-Chaired 1988 CSPG Conference on Sequences, Stratigraphy, Sedimentology: Surface and Subsurface (1,100 delegates); CSPG Technical Luncheon Presentations – 2009, 2004, 1997, 1995, 1996a, 1996b, 1993, 1987, 1985. PUBLICATIONS: Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology – 16 papers; CSPG Memoirs and others – 6 papers; Edited CSPB Books, Co-Editor of CSPG 1988 Memoir 15, Sequences, Stratigraphy, Sedimentology: Surface and Subsurface, Leckie, D.A. and Barclay, J.E. 2011. Gas Shale of the Horn River Basin – Discovery, Potential and Future, CSPG Publication; Numerous CSPG Core Conference and Field Trip publications; CSPG Gussow Conference Committee Chair – 2011/12. AWARDS: CSPG Medal of Merit (2005), best paper in Canadian Petroleum Geology; CSPG Service Award 1996/97; CSPG Link Award 1995; CSPG Medal of Merit (1987), best paper in Canadian Petroleum Geology; CSPG Distinguished Lecturer 1986; CSPG Honourable Mention, Best Ph.D. thesis (1985); Several AAPG and SEPM awards.
PRESIDENT ELECT – TONY CADRIN
EDUCATION: B.Sc. Geology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon Saskatchewan (1985); Ph.D. Geology, University of Saskatchewan (1992). EXPERIENCE: Geologist, PanCanadian (1991-1997); Geologist, Anderson Exploration (1997-2000); Geologist, Startech (2000- 2001); Geologist, Impact/Thunder Energy (2001-2005); Geoscience Manager, Thunder Energy Trust (2005-2006); VP Geosciences, Thunder Energy Trust/ Sword Energy/Journey Energy (2006-Present). PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: CSPG, AAPG, APEGA, CSEG. CSPG ACTIVITIES: CSPG Member since 1984. Student Industry Field Trip Committee member/Chair (1991-1996); Convention Technical Committee and session Chair (1988); CSPG Services Director (1998-1999); CSPG Program Director (2001); Tech Lunch Committee Chair/ Link Committee (2002-2005); CSPG Webcasts Program (2003-2004); CSPG Committee on Conventions/JACC (2005-2010); 2010 GeoCanada Convention (2010); CSPG East Coast Ambassador (2013).
AWARDS: CSPG Volunteer Award; CSPG Services Award; CSPG Tracks Award; CSPG Presidents Award 2009.
PAST PRESIDENT – PAUL MACKAY
EDUCATION: B.Sc. (Honours, Geological Sciences), Queen’s University (1980); Ph.D. (Geology), University of Calgary (1991). EXPERIENCE: Geologist/Geophysicist, Amoco Canada (1980-1993); Structural Geologist, Morrison Petroleum (1993-1996); Exploration Manager-Foothills, Northstar Energy (1996-1999); Principal, GeoConsultants Ltd. (1999-2010); President, Shale Exploration (2010-2011); President, Shale Petroleum (2012-Present); Adjunct Professor, University of Calgary (2005-present). Lecturer for numerous industry courses on Structural Geology and Fractures (1995-present). PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: CSPG, AAPG, APEGA, CSEG. CSPG ACTIVITIES: Speaker at several conferences and luncheons; Structural Division Chair (1993-1994); Visiting Petroleum Lecturer (1995, 2010), Editor (Bulletin), Triangle Zone Volume – Special Issue (1996); Canadian Petroleum CSPG Executive, Program Director (2000-2001); CSPG/CSEG/CWLS Annual Convention Co-Chair – Recovery (2011); GeoConvention (JAC) steering committee (present).
AWARDS: CSPG Service Award; CSPG Tracks Award; CSPG President’s Award; CSEG/CSPG/CWLS Best-Integrated Geology and Geophysics Paper for the National Convention Geotriad; GeoCanada (2010), National Convention for the CSPG, CSEG, CWLS, GAC/MAC – Best Geology Paper.
32 RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 FINANCE DIRECTOR – GORD STABB
EDUCATION: B.Sc. (Geology), University of Toronto (1981). EXPERIENCE: Exploration and Development Geologist, Unocal Canada Ltd. (1981-1992); Development and Oilsands Geologist, Gulf Canada Resources Ltd. (1993-1998); Consulting Oilsands Geologist, Durando Resources Corp. (1999-2006); V.P. Exploration Oil Sands, Southern Pacific Resource Corp. (2006-2009); Technical Director, Board, Canadian Heavy Oil Association (2008-2010); Consulting Oilsands Geologist, Durando Resources Corp. (2009-Present). PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: CSPG, APEGA, CHOA. CSPG ACTIVITIES: Basin Analysis & Sequence Stratigraphy Division (2002-2009); Publication Indexing Committee (1983-2004); Conference Presenter: Geologic Considerations in Horizontal Well Placement for McMurray Fm Thermal Exploitation: Case Example, Surmont Alberta (1999). Nisku Sedimentology, Meekwap to Sturgeon Lake (1991). Application of 3-D modeling to Leduc Exploration (CSEG 1986). AWARDS: CSPG Service Award (2011).
FINANCE DIRECTOR ELECT – ASTRID ARTS
EDUCATION: B.Sc. (Honours), Geology, University of Alberta (1995); M.Sc., Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta (2000). EXPERIENCE: ConocoPhillips Canada/Conoco/Gulf/Crestar (1998-2006), Barrick Energy (2011-2013), Cenovus Energy (2013-Present). PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: CSPG, AAPG, APEGA, SPE. CSPG ACTIVITIES: Rock the Foundation Convention - Special Events Chair (2001), Digging Deeper, Diamond Jubilee Convention - Publicity & Marketing Chair (2002), Diamond Jubilee Convention - Publicity & Marketing Chair (2002), Educational Trust Fund - Director (2003), CSPG Executive - Services director (2004-2005), Chair Electronic Communications Committee (2005-2009). AWARDS: CSPG Tracks Award (2002, 2009), CSPG Service Award (2001, 2005, 2010).
DIRECTOR – ALEXIS ANASTAS
EDUCATION: B.Sc. (Earth Science), University of Toronto (1988); M.Sc. (Geology), University of Waterloo (1992); Ph.D. (Geological Science), Queen’s University (1997). EXPERIENCE: Geologist, Amoco and BP Canada (1997-2003); Sedimentologist, Devon Canada (2003-2006); Staff Geologist, Nexen Energy ULC (2006-present). PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: CSPG, AAPG. CSPG ACTIVITIES: CSPG Convention Short Courses Chair (1997), Joint Annual Core Conference Chair (2012, 2013). AWARDS: CSPG Service Award (1997).
DIRECTOR – ANDREW FOX
EDUCATION: B.Sc. (Geology), Laurentian University (1985); M.Sc. (Geology), University of Alberta (1988). EXPERIENCE: Geologist, Dome Petroleum (1988); Geologist, Amoco Canada (1988-1998); Geologist, BP Canada (1998-2004), VP Resource Development, MEG Energy (2004-2011), Senior Advisor Subsurface, MEG Energy (Present). PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: CSPG, APEGGA, CHOA. CSPG ACTIVITIES: SIFT Committee (1992-1997); Environment Division Chair (2004-Present).
AWARDS: CSPG Volunteer Award (2007), CSPG Service Award (2010, 2011).
DIRECTOR – MILOVAN FUSTIC
EDUCATION: B.Sc. (Honours), University of Belgrade, Serbia (1993); Ph.D., University of Calgary, Canada (2010) EXPERIENCE: Naftagas (1993-1994); Magnohrom (1994-1997); TIH Consulting Ltd. (1997-2000); Albian Sands Inc. (2000-2004); Petroleum Reservoir Group, University of Calgary (2004-2006); Nexen Energy ULC (2006-2011); Statoil Canada Ltd. (2011-present) PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: CSPG, APEGA, AAPG, CHOA, IAS, SEPM. CSPG ACTIVITIES: CSPG Technical Chair for GeoConvention 2013; CSPG GeoConvention Session Chair (2009, 2011); CSPG Technical Luncheon Presentation 2013; CSPG Short Course and Field Trip Instructor (2010-present) AWARDS: CSPG Medal of Merit (2011), best paper in Canadian Petroleum Geology; CSPG Medal of Merit Honourable Mention (2009), Geoscience Advancements (2002) (Continued on page 30...)
RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 33 (...Continued from page 19)
DIRECTOR – MICHAEL LABERGE
EDUCATION: B.Sc. (Honours, Geology and Biology), Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia (1977). EXPERIENCE: Geologist, Amoco Canada Petroleum Company Limited (1977-1980); Geologist, Flame Oil & Gas Ltd. (1980-1985); Exploration Manager, Vanguard Petroleum Limited (1985-1989); VP Exploration, Tarragon Oil and Gas Limited (1990-1991); Consulting Geologist/ Co-Manager Exploration Geology/ District Manager. Crestar Energy Inc. (1991-1999); Geologist, Channel Energy Inc. (1999-2005); VP Exploration, SunOcean Energy Ltd. (2005-2007); VP Exploration, Tuscany Energy Ltd (2007), Partner, Intercept Resources Inc. (2007-2008); Geologist, Channel Energy Inc. (2008-2011); Senior Exploration Geologist, Surge Energy Inc. (2010-2013); Geologist, Channel Energy Inc. (present). PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: CSPG, AAPG CSPG ACTIVITIES: Advisory Committee for the Advantage Program (1994-1995), Classic Gold Committee (1993-2013) AWARDS: CSPG Service Award (1994, 2009, 2010, 2011); CSPG Tracks Award (2012)
DIRECTOR – ROBERT MUMMERY
EDUCATION: McMaster University, Ph.D. Geology (1973); Univ. of Western Ontario, Hons. B.Sc. Geology (1968). EXPERIENCE: District Geologist/Chief Staff Geologist, Home Oil; Chief Geologist/Vice President-Interpretation/Vice President, Seieslog; Executive Vice President, Teknica Resource Development Ltd.; Manager Strategic Exploration Projects/ Foothills Team Leader/Northern Team Leader, Wascana/Saskoil; Founder/Vice President – Exploration, Golden Eagle Energy; Corp. Director, Unbridled Energy Corp.; Director, Altima Resources Inc. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: APEGA, AAPG, CGC, CSEG, CSPG, CNC/IUGS, MNABES, MACST, SEG.
DIRECTOR – WEISHEN REN
EDUCATION: B.Eng. (Petroleum Geological Exploration), Southwest Petroleum Institute, P. R. China (1992); M.Sc. (Petroleum Engineering), University of Alberta (2002); Ph.D. (Petroleum Engineering), University of Alberta (2007). EXPERIENCE: SINOPEC China (1992-1997); Centre for Computational Geostatistics, University of Alberta (2003-2006); Geostatistician, Surmont geomodeling advisor, ConocoPhillips Canada (2006-2011); Principle geologist/ geomodeler, Statoil Canada (2011-present). PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: CSPG. CSPG ACTIVITIES: Chair of geomodeling committee (2007-2012); 2011 Gussow Conference organizing committee; Geomodeling session chair in GeoConvention (2008, 2009). PUBLICATIONS: Published 20+ technical papers as principle or co-author relating to geostatistics, geomodeling, and reservoir engineering. AWARDS: CSPG Volunteer Award (2007-2010), CSPG Service Awards (2011).
DIRECTOR – DARREN ROBLIN
EDUCATION: B.Sc. E (Honours, Geological Engineering), Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario (1997); MBA, University of Calgary - Haskayne School of Business (2013). EXPERIENCE: Geophysicist, Crestar Energy (1997-2000), Senior Geophysicist, BonaVista Energy (2000-2003), Geophysical Advisor, NuVista Energy (2003-2012), Exploration Manager, Shale Petroleum (2012), Geophysical Manager, Marquee Energy (2012-2013), Chief Geophysicist, Endurance Energy (2013- Present). PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: CSPG, AAPG, APEGA, CSEG.
34 RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 GEOLOGY OF THE MOUNT STEPHEN TRILOBITE BEDS AND ADJACENT STRATA NEAR FIELD B.C., YOHO NATIONAL PARK New Perspectives on a 127 Year Old Discovery: Part 2 | By V. Allen Kimmel P. Eng., P. Geol.
This article is a summary of one technical letter and three technical papers related to ongoing research by the author in an area that includes the Mount Stephen Trilobite Beds and Burgess Shale located near Field, BC. The present research began with the recognition of, and investigation into, the Field Slide by the author, the findings of which are summarized immediately below. Analysis of the slide mass and slide failure surfaces led to other relevant findings that are contained within the pages that follow. The article is divided into three segments for publication in the Reservoir. The first segment deals with the existing surface geomorphology and Cambrian depositional environments. The second segment deals with the Mount Stephen Trilobite Beds, adjacent strata and local structural features. The final segment concludes discussing the local structural features and highlights the major conclusions of the research to date.
PART 2 SUBAREAL EXPOSURE AND THE Figure 10. Ogygopsis/Basal Cathedral Unconformity. Ogygopsis muds, the blue black sediments, are visible infilling OGYGOPSIS/BASAL CATHEDRAL erosional lows between adjacent slightly dolomitized limestone bedding layers (a) and erosional troughs (b) within UNCONFORMITY the exposure surface. The top of the off reef carbonate beds and the upper surfaces of the higher patch reefs on the mid and lower Trilobite Beds Slope (TBS) are part of an erosional unconformity that is visible in numerous locations on the TBS (Figures 10 through 12) and adjacent slopes. The weathered, smoothed appearance of the erosional surfaces indicates extensive subareal exposure. Future field work will focus on documenting the unconformity across the entire slope, from the more basinal westward setting into the more closely spaced and higher patch reefs to the east. The first muds of the Ogygopsis Shale section were deposited as horizontal layers, infilling erosional bedding lows between adjacent limestone layers (a) and erosional troughs (b) within the lowermost portions of the exposure surfaces (Figures 10 and 11).
The Ogygopsis bedding psuedo parallels the unconformity surface on the majority of the TBS in areas that are not (Continued on page 36...) Figure 11. Looking northward across the unconformity surface in Figure 10 to the edge of the TBS.
RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 35 present more than two metres below the base of the bioherm – the rock is comprised of original blue black limestone. The unconformity marks the end of initial Cathedral deposition and the beginning of Ogygopsis (Stephen Burgess) deposition. Mapping of this feature is essential in understanding the geology of the area. Ney (1954 Fig. 3, p130) viewed the limestone unit below the Cathedral reefing visible in the Kicking Horse Valley to the north as the beginning of the Cathedral Formation, as did Fritz (1969, p. 1159). This paper will call the limestone unit on the TBS the Basal Cathedral Unit, the unit in which Cathedral reef growth commences.
THE UPPER AND LOWER MOUNT STEPHEN TRILOBITE BEDS The Upper Trilobite Beds (UTBs) were deposited on top of the underlying unconformity/ Basal Cathedral Limestones in a saddle between three patch reefs (Figure 14) – one to the north (the patch Figure 12. Cross section of the unconformity between the underlying limestone (effervescing) and the overlying reef in Figure 2, previous article segment), horizontal Ogygopsis Shale beds. The lowest, furthest right Ogygopsis bed visibly thins from right to left and pinches out one to the south and, based on increasing against the erosional limestone surface, as do the beds above. depositional dip in the exposed carbonate layers, one to the east. The UTBs are not in situ, as is clearly evident in Figure 14. Given the displaced, jumbled nature of the UTB’s, it is impossible to get a true orientation of the bedding from any of the UTB strata – a fact which has been recognized by the majority of previous researchers. The only true dip and strike measurement that can be made is of the underlying carbonates directly to the south of the UTBs – which dip at an average of 41° west and strike at 349° – close to the average of the non reefal influenced limestone bedding elsewhere on the slope. In situ Ogygopisis across the TBS dips at an average of 43o west and strikes at approximately 345o, a comparable orientation to the underlying limestone beds in the non-patch reef/ bioherm influenced areas.
The UTBs and other adjacent remnants of the thin Ogygopsis shale beds that remained in situ post Field Slide on the upper TBS have crept to their present position in Figure 13. Half metre thick biohermal buildup underfoot of Todd Keith, Parks Canada, upslope of the patch reef in the years subsequent to the slide (Figure Figure 3 (previous article segment). Note the beds change vertically downward from buff colored dolostone to dark blue 15). The patch reefs, bioherms and other black limestone within 3 metres. TBS features create bumps/inflections in (...Continued from page 35) biohermal features, the less the degree the bedding plane surfaces that act as adjacent to reefal/biohermal build ups, of dolomitization within the limestone accumulation points, temporarily arresting as is evident in Figure 12. The exposure beds. The tan coloured bioherm under the downhill movement of the Ogygopsis. surfaces may be the cause of the pervasive foot in the photo is slightly less than one Those portions of the creeping beds that dolomitization of the reefs as well as the metre in thickness and outcrops on the were not halted by the bumps/inflections varying degree of dolomitization found northern edge of the TBS. The top of make up the talus slope sediments on in the in situ reef capping and draping the feature was at, or very near to, the the mid and bottom portion of the TBS. limestone beds. As is evident in Figure unconformity surface. As one proceeds As illustrated in Figure 15, the Ogygopsis 13, the further the horizontal and vertical down section, the degree of dolomitization comprising the UTBs (in places over distance from exposed, dolomitized reefal/ decreases rapidly. No dolomitization is 4 meters thick) has moved an average
36 RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 estimated distance of 125 metres meters to the west (basinward). This is identical to that of the underlying off reef/ downslope from its original depositional 150 meters westward of any evident reefal nonbiohermal Basal Cathedral limestone position amongst the patch reefs. The or biohermal buildups in the underlying beds. In contrast to this, one of the easily reef in Figure 8 (previous article segment) Basal Cathedral limestones. Both Trilobite accessible trilobite rich surfaces found outcrops directly below the southern edge Beds comprise rock from the lowermost within the LTBs strikes at 355° and dips of the UTBs and is likely the feature 2 to 3 metres of the Ogygopsis. Both sit at 52° west. Not recognizing that this responsible for the accumulation and (sat) directly on top of the limestone beds strata has been displaced and using the current position of the UTBs (Figure 15). (the unconformity) and, as reported by 52° dip (which is significantly steeper than Fletcher and Collins (2003), “the Lower the adjacent talus/mountainside at this Tracing the in situ Basal Cathedral Trilobite Beds contain the same general point), one can i) easily interpret the LTBs limestone beds, the in situ Ogygopsis beds faunal assemblage as the Upper Trilobite as stratigraphically higher/younger beds and the unconformity (where visible) and Beds, but in much fewer numbers and than the UTBs and ii) assign a significant combining these observations with the variety” (p.1836). thickness to the in situ Ogygopsis Beds measured in situ bedding orientations that would then have to exist under the reveals that the Lower Trilobite Beds The vast majority of the lowermost scree between the younger downslope (LTBs) and the UTBs are the same strata. one to two metres of Ogygopsis in and LTBs and the older upslope UTBs. The LTBs were deposited at the same adjacent to the LTBs is in situ, with a time as the UTBs, at exactly the same strike and dip orientation (average dip of This may be why previous investigators stratigraphic level, but approximately 400 43°west and average strike of 345°) almost (Continued on page 38...)
Figure 14. Looking east with the prominent patch reef in Figure 2 (previous article segment) at the left centre of the photo, less than 100 meters away. The continuous, traceable in situ beds of the Basal Cathedral limestones (DB) are visible between the Figure 15. Looking east south east at the mid TBS from Field, B.C. showing the original patch reef (centre left), the inferred patch reef to the east (visible increase in the slope depositional/in situ position of the fossiliferrous Ogygopsis strata directly upslope of the of the DBs below the trees at the right of the photo) and to patch reef to the south (just Upper Trilobite Beds (UTBs) as they sit today. The inferred patch reef at the base of the off the right centre of the photo). The jumbled, displaced Upper Trilobite Beds (UTBs) UTBs outcrops on the side of the ridge just below the right downslope tip of the outlined are visible in the lower third of the photo. D Teleki and M. Seo right centre of photo. UTBs and is the patch reef in Figure 8 of the first article segment.
Figure 16. Basal Cathedral strata thrust over black Field Member shale (lower right of photo) Figure 17. The exposed shale/carbonate sequence at the base of the Field Member above Slope via the Kimmel Thrust Fault on the northern edge of the Upper TBS. The strata below the scree 2 which continues unbroken to the cliff above Slope 3 to the north (lower centre left of photo). at the base of the photo comprises an interbedded Field Member shale/carbonate section that This strata is traceable from this location southward to below the thrust in Figure 16 on the TBS. lies directly below the black shale and continues unbroken within the Eldon above Slopes 2 and 3 (Figure 17) to the north.
RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 37 (...Continued from page 37) on the west slope of Mount Stephen. (beginning with Deiss, 1940, p. 778) Hence, the relative depositional position have interpreted the LTBs as being of the UTBs and the LTBs, located within stratigraphically younger than the UTBs the uppermost thrust sheet on the TBS, and have assumed that tens of meters of would have been two or more kilometres Professionals in Geoscience Ogygopsis section resides underneath the basinward of the exposed Cathedral scree between the LTBs and the UTBs – Escarpment on the north side of Mount www.apega.ca which is not the case. Stephen.
THE KIMMEL THRUST COMPLEX AL KIMMEL BIOGRAPHY Approximately ninety percent of the in situ Al Kimmel, a Professional Engineer and exposed and near surface strata comprising Professional Geologist, has extensive CORPORATE SUPPORTERS the TBS is part of a previously unrecognized knowledge of geological play types throughout Scope of Practice Apache Canada Ltd. thrust complex, herein called the Kimmel the Western Canadian Basin. A graduate of Apoterra Seismic Processing Ltd. Thrust Complex. The thrust strata exists the Geotechnical Option of UBC’s Geological Every member of APEGA has a self-defined Scope of Practice, as specified by Part 1, Section BDO Canada LLP on Slopes 2, 3 and 4 to the north as well as Engineering Program, Al began his career Birchcliff Energy Ltd. 5(1) of the Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act. Every member is obliged to understand the TBS and represent the second of three as an Exploration Geologist with Dome BJV Exploration Partnership major tectonic events related to mountain Petroleum in 1985. His initial few months and internalize those parts of the legislation, given that it defines them professionally. Cabra Consulting Ltd. building in the area. Figure 16 shows the were spent working the Dunvegan Formation Cabra Enterprises Ltd. in the Whitecourt area. By the end of his The Practice of Geoscience is defined in Section 1 of the Act. A Professional Geoscientist is Casey & Associates lowermost thrust sheet comprising Basal Canada Brokerlink Inc. Cathedral strata sitting atop of the basal first year with Dome, Al was moved into the expected to choose an area of specialty within the broad group of tasks contained in Section CL Consultants thrust fault. Upslope remnants of the Whitecourt Devonian group where, with 3 5(1) that fits that person’s academic training and professional experience. If a practitioner strays thrust complex on the upper TBS as well geophysicists, he pursued Leduc and other Compass Directional Services outside that competence envelope, the outcome may be dire for public health and safety. Continental Laboratories (1985) Ltd. as a possible thrust sheet outlier located Devonian prospects utilizing a depositional Core Laboratories southeast of the Mount Stephen peak model he had developed. After the Amoco Core Laboratories Canada are also visible (Figure 22 – final article merger, Al was transferred into the Foothills Competence is not a static entity. As a professional grows in knowledge and experience, one’s Cougar Consultants, Inc. segment). group. In 1990, Al was hired by Samson scope of practice envelope grows with it. Professional Development (PD) is an integral part of Datalog Technology Inc. Canada – the first Canadian employee in growth in competence and re-definition of an individual’s personal scope of practice. EDGE Technologies North and Henderson (1954) noted a two man office. For the next four years, Energy Navigator that “on Mount Stephen, a beginning he worked throughout Western Canada, the APEGA’s Continuing PD program underscores the essential nature of knowing how the EV Cam Canada Inc. is made on its (the Eldon, typically all Williston and elsewhere as an exploration and Explor carbonate) transformation to a shale- development geologist, reservoir engineer and boundaries of competence change over time. Progressive geoscientists continuously learn and Fekete limestone sequence, with the appearance acquisitions and divestiture specialist. In 1994, adopt new ways of doing things and their confidence and competence grow. Geotir of a prominent band of dark siliceous Al moved to Cimarron Petroleum and after the GLJ Petroleum Consultants Ltd. shale, 150 feet thick, in the lower part of Newport Merger in 1998, left to consult and What are the boundaries of your scope of practice, now and five years from now? Are you ready GranTierra Energy Inc. the formation” – the Field Member (ASPG pursue his own oil and gas interests. to grow? Little Rock Document Services Guidebook p. 60). This dark marker bed Matrix Geoservices Ltd. is clearly visible on Mount Stephen and An avid history buff and jack of all trades, Al Matrix Solutions Inc. For more information: across the Kicking Horse Valley on Mounts recognized the need for hands on industry McDaniel & Associates Consultants Ltd. Field and Wapta to the north and occurs training courses that would benefit junior Tom Sneddon, P.Geol., FGC Mcleay Geological Consultants Ltd. National Oilwell Varco mid Eldon. There is a shaley carbonate technical and all non technical industry Director Geoscience and Outreach Nickpoint Environmental Services sequence evident at the base of the Field employees. In 1998, GeoHistory Inc. (www. P: 403-262-7714 or 888-262-3688 Member (visible in Figure 17) north of geohistory.ca) was born with the creation of Paradigm Geophysical (Canada) Corp. E: [email protected] Pason Systems Corp. the TBS (above slopes 2, 3 and 4). A shale the Calgary to Burgess Shale Field Course. Pulse Seismic Inc. bed within this sequence is the strata Other courses followed, including the Essentials Regent Resources visible below the thrust fault in Figure of the Oil and Gas Industry Course, the RIGSAT Communications 16. The Field Member shaley carbonate Production and Facilities Essentials Course, RPS Energy Canada Ltd. strata is continuous from the Figure 16 and the Oil Sands and Heavy Oil Essentials SAExploration location on the northern side of the TBS Course. GeoHistory’s courses are now part Shea Nerland Calnan LLP through to (and past) the outcrop on the of the internal training program of numerous Sigma Explorations Eldon ridge above Slope 3 (Figure 17). It is companies and industry associations such as Statcom Ltd. highly sheared with abundant slickensides CAPLA. Sproule Associates Limited from the overriding thrusting on the TBS Sourcex exposure. In 2011, Al finally wrote about some of the Total Gas Detection Ltd. observations he had made in the Mount Tucker Energy Services Canada Recognition of the thrust strata and thrust Stephen area decades earlier. In 2012, he was Tucker Wireline Services Canada Inc. faults changes the existing documented granted a research permit from Parks Canada. AS OF DECEMBER 10, 2013 stratigraphic relationships, classifications Some of the initial results from his ongoing CSPG welcomes our 2013 Corporate Supporters! and depositional models in the published research are summarized in this article. The benefits of being a corporate member include: literature as previous investigators did not • Recognition in the monthly Reservoir and quarterly Bulletin account for the existence of any displaced • One associate membership • Reserved tables at the technical luncheons with your company logo strata or repeated thrust sections. • One free pass to the CSPG Core Conference Furthermore, no Cathedral Escarpment …and more! Contact Kasandra Klein at [email protected] strata is found within the thrust sheets to be a corporate member today!
38 RESERVOIR ISSUE 01 • JANUARY 2014 Professionals in Geoscience www.apega.ca
Scope of Practice Every member of APEGA has a self-defined Scope of Practice, as specified by Part 1, Section 5(1) of the Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act. Every member is obliged to understand and internalize those parts of the legislation, given that it defines them professionally. The Practice of Geoscience is defined in Section 1 of the Act. A Professional Geoscientist is expected to choose an area of specialty within the broad group of tasks contained in Section 5(1) that fits that person’s academic training and professional experience. If a practitioner strays outside that competence envelope, the outcome may be dire for public health and safety. Competence is not a static entity. As a professional grows in knowledge and experience, one’s scope of practice envelope grows with it. Professional Development (PD) is an integral part of growth in competence and re-definition of an individual’s personal scope of practice. APEGA’s Continuing PD program underscores the essential nature of knowing how the boundaries of competence change over time. Progressive geoscientists continuously learn and adopt new ways of doing things and their confidence and competence grow. What are the boundaries of your scope of practice, now and five years from now? Are you ready to grow? For more information: Tom Sneddon, P.Geol., FGC Director Geoscience and Outreach P: 403-262-7714 or 888-262-3688 E: [email protected]
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